My Little Warcraft - New Friends
by Guyviroth
Summary: In the wake of the Purge of Dalaran, Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron has tasked Gai'vahros Dawnbreaker, a high ranking Blood Knight, in leading the other knights to the Isle of Quel'Danas. However, when the portal to the isle goes terribly pear-shaped, Gai'vahros finds himself in a land that's not entirely like Azeroth...
1. Prologue

The day-born sun gave a bright calming glow upon the magnificent architecture of the old Elven city of Silvermoon City. As the rays of the light beamed down upon the desecrated grounds of the plaza it nonetheless gave the surrounding an aura of life around it; the gold trims around the rims of pathways, the underside of balconies and the frames of doors and windows glistened and dazzled, the gemstones embedded into the walls of the city itself and the buildings that were nestled within the confines of Elven architecture refracted light like morning dew in the autumn days, while the transparent curtains hung upon the building doorways transformed the light into hues of red, gold and blue to give untold magic in the eyes of those who could witness this illumination.

Regardless of the splendour, wonder and grandeur of Silvermoon it still remained shell of its former glory, a husk that has been left behind in favour of greater places. Among the dancing flowers that float upon arcane magic in mid air, the green fel crystals that suspend themselves in place with their own magic, it seemed that no one was here to enjoy the scenery of what was once one of the greatest cities that had ever existed.

Although, it wasn't all abandoned. Indeed, one lone Blood Elf, garbed in armour of pure gold, draped in fabrics of crimson and violet, proceeded down the stone path of the surrounding Court of the Sun, a plaza that had been built in two levels with a pair of stairs on either side of a large, gold fountain that allowed access to the higher plane. The Elf strode on towards the fountain as he had a look of discern upon his complexion; although he was happy to be back in what was still left of Silvermoon, he was sorrowful of what has become of it during the Third War, with Arthas' campaign across Quel'Thalas. He longed for the day that Silvermoon would be rebuilt back to its former glory. Regardless, the Elf was not about to lose sight of what he can still do for his people instead of dabbling in events that has already happened.

"Has it really been three years?" The Elf couldn't help but mutter to himself as he gazed around him, the masonry of the city around him spanned high into the skies as he began to take in the vivid colours of red and gold that pierced into his eyes. It reminded him of his old days as a recruit of the Blood Knights. "And yet, the city still looks the same..." Sighing softly, the Elf took a gold coin from out of his bag, twirling it around the fingers of his gold and leather gauntlet, grasping between a finger and thumb. "I just wish, someday soon, that we'll once again become what we once were. What this city once was. What our lives were like before the Scourge... Selama Ashal'anore." The coin was pushed upon the length of the Elf's thumb before being flicked into the middle bowl of the large fountain the stood before him before making his way to the left-most stairway to the upper plane.

For many a time he had come here for one reason or another, but this time his presence was needed urgently. The elf looked up in front of him, the large ramp draped in a long red carpet, flanked by two large statues of beautiful Blood Elven women on pedestals, while the path itself was maintained by Elven sentry, fifteen on each side, each garbed in royal Sindorei plate and robes, carrying large tower shields and long, golden glaives. The Elf couldn't remember the last time he had come to the Sunfury Spire, let alone the last time he was summoned here. Nonetheless he proceeded to scale the ramp, his boots making soft noises as they passed from the stone paving onto the velvet carpet. he couldn't help but look to the sides as he walked, making eye contact with the guards. Some of them nodded to him in acknowledgement, while others gave a slight bow in respect.

As the Elf reached the final inclined his eyes gazed into the large open doorway of the main court inside the Sunfury Spire. The room was dark, but the glowing crystals that scattered in suspension around the outer area of the room gave the court a deep violet glow. The floor was draped in a large circular rose carpet with gold livery, again offering the grandeur of the importance of this particular area. It was, after all, once the Royal Family quarter of Silvermoon before the Third War. Giving a small sigh, the Elf proceeded inside to be met with three other Blood Elves; Ranger-General of Silvermoon, Halduron Brightwing; Grand Magister Rommath; and of course the Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas, Lor'themar Theron. The three ceased a discussion amongst themselves, one that the Elf could not pick up on despite his large ears, as they noticed the armoured warrior make his entrance.

"Ah, Gai'vahros," Lor'themar spoke a loud and clear, taking several steps forwards to greet the veteran Elf. The Regent Lord small smile on his face, one that most of the Blood Elves, including his co-advisors, had not seen in a long time. "I'm glad you came as soon as you could. Again, I wish to thank you for assisting Rommath during the situation in Dalaran. Your expertise could not have benefitted us any more than it did."

"Regent Lord, you praise me too much," Gai'vahros gave a small bow with a hand on his chest in gratitude to the praise that his racial leader was bestowing upon him. "I had only done what any other Sindorei would have done in my place. It was ludicrous that our brethren would be purged from the city they had called their home."

"I understand your feelings Blood Knight, but your actions have helped not only the innocents that had inhabited Dalaran, but you also helped us in rescuing members of the Sunreavers, as well as Aethas. Without him..."

"My Lord, where is Aethas," Gai'vahros peered a little over the shoulder of Theron, not noticing the former councilman of the Kirin Tor. "Was he not supposed to be joining us today?"

"Ah yes, Aethas has asked me to apologize on his behalf. It seems that... his pants were ruined when they were flung from the spire's balcony into the fountain. Not that that's anything new, mind you." Lor'themar couldn't help but give a small chuckle, as did Gai'vahros. "As I had told you the day before Gai'vahros, I am to make the next move upon what has transpired in Dalaran. As well as the Rangers, the Blood Magi and the Sunreavers, I am bolstering the ranks with the Blood Knights as well."

"Blood Knights as well?" Gai'vahros was astounded by the immense force in which the regent Lord was amassing against Dalaran. It was enough that he was pressing the attack with a legion of Blood Magi and Rangers, to which could probably match the Alliance armies of Stormwind, but now also adding the Blood Knights to the equation, too. "I assume you're suggest I tag along for the battle as well?"

"Tag along? Gai'vahros, had you been such a novice, harkening back to your initiate years you'd be a foot soldier. But, your abilities are astounding. You served our kind greatly during the Outland campaign against Kael'Thas, you helped bring the Northrend invasion to a close, and you prevented the Destroyer from achieving the Cataclysm. Your powers, your skills, and your experiences are astounding. No, I don't want you to "tag along"; I want you to help lead our forces to victory!"

"My Lord..." Gai'vahros couldn't hardly believe it. At his core, at his foundation, he had always been an adventurer, walking a path that only lead him from one stranger to the next, gaining new experiences with each person he helped. It was the last thing that Gai'vahros could expect from the Regent Lord, naming him a commander of the Blood Elf forces. It was so unexpected that he had already began to feel the pressure of the position, but he could not let it get him down. The Regent Lord, a Ranger himself, was cast as the leader of the Blood Elves despite his disdain for the job, but he still does it because there is no one else to turn to. That was what Gai'vahros needed to do today, to claim responsibility and to lead his people to victory, to salvation. "My Lord, you bestow upon me a great honour. I accept the position fully. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, Gai'vahros," The Regent Lord extended an arm forward, placing it on the Blood Knight's shoulder. "You'll be commanding the Blood Knight offensive with Lady Liadrin. You'll have a lot of time to catch up while you're with her."

"Lord Regent," A voice came from the back of the room, Rommath gazing in the direction of Lor'themar and Gai'vahros. "The portal to Quel'Danas is ready. By your orders..." It seemed that Rommath was using the translocation orb located near the seat of the Lord Regent to redirect its location from the Undercity to the Isle of Quel'Danas, an island north of Silvermoon that is part of the Quel'Thalas empire.

"Very good. Halduron, return to the Sunwell by your leave. Rommath, stay here to keep the portal open while we move our forces through. Gai'vahros, accompany Halduron to Quel'Danas. We'll send the Blood Knights shortly."

With the regent Lord's plan set in motion, those who were given their orders proceeded as instructed. Halduron ventured first, disappearing into the bright green void, seemingly to its target location. As Gai'vahros approached, Rommath reeled back slightly, pulling his arms away as though a sudden surge of energy shot through his limbs throughout his body. "Ahh!" Rommath gave out a small yell of pain, as arcane energy began to flow violently through his arms. The portal remained although its visage began to shake and blur, the colours twisting in a spiral before Rommath placed his arms back forwards. "Some sort of magical surge... but I can maintain this. Go now, Blood Knight."

Gai'vahros was sceptical at first but nonetheless proceeded as ordered. However, as he stepped through the portal another surge of energy raced through the surrounding area, sending out a powerful shockwave of arcane energy. While Gai'vahros was pulled into the portal, the energy caused it to explode outwards violently. Rommath and Lor'themar was sent flying away from the place of the portal, with the Grand Magister flung across the room and colliding against the wall, while the Regent Lord was sent flying out the doorway and onto the ramp, landing softly on the carpet however. The guards surrounding the ramp looked on in shock, while a handful of them raced to their Regent Lord.

"My Lord, are you alright?" One spoke in concern.

"Has there been an intrusion?" Another questioned, glaring at the Sunfury Spire.

"Do not, touch, THE HAIR!" The Regent Lord yelled out as he shrugged off a guard who had misplaced his hand to a part Lor'themar forbids anyone touching. Climbing back to his feet, the Regent Lord glances forwards but notices nothing strange within the Spire, as though nothing had happened. Rushing in, the Elf looks around only to find the Grand Magister getting back up, his back pressed against the wall.

"My Lord... there's been some sort of disturbance! The portal, its composition changed as the Blood Knight walked through!" Rommath's voice was not without a sense of dread. The regent Lord looked upon him before turning to where the portal once stood.

"Rommath, what are you saying? Where the hell did Gai'vahros go?!" Lor'themar couldn't help but feel agitated that once again his plans would suffer a setback. "Where did that portal lead to?"

"I'm sorry," Rommath shook his head. He proceeded to where the portal exploded, only to sense a large amount of energy that seemed to distort and disturb the arcane energies around the translocation orb. "The portal, when it changed, felt like nothing I'd felt before. He's not here, nor on Kalimdor. Probably not even on Azeroth itself..."

Meanwhile, the Blood Knight lay semi-conscious upon dirt-ridden ground. He lay crumbled on his belly, his cape draping over his body in folds while his armour was tarnished in dirt and leaves. His eyes began to open slowly, although he was expecting to see some form of darkness before him, he saw only the bright light as it shone upon emerald green grass. His eyes shifted to the side, looking up at the sky to see bright blue skylines, painted with dabs of clouds that floated through the air on gentle winds. Despite him wanting to move his body it seemed that it was not going to move easily. His whole body felt numb and his front felt bruised, prompting him to believe that he had fallen from height. With as much strength his could muster he placed his hands upon the ground and pushed his body up. Shifting one leg under himself he supported himself to all fours before gazing up at his surroundings.

The Blood Knight could not believe what he saw in front of him. It was almost as though he found himself in a fantasy land. Flowers of a multitude of colours danced in the breeze in a waltz with the blades of grass, the trees grew to such large sizes in singles and groups, and the sky was much clearer than Azeroths. The architecture too was nothing Gai'vahros had seen before, although it reminded him subtly of Gilnean design. The houses and buildings were of thatched roofs with beige or cream plastered walls, decorated in strips of pink with paler pink windows. For Gai'vahros, it seemed all too... pink.

"Ahhhhh!" Gai'vahros winced as his ears pricked upwards, hearing a loud scream from behind him. Turning around, he saw a small yellow filly with a cherry-red mane. "It's ah giant evil hedgehog... thang!"

"Huh...?" Gai'vahros couldn't help but looked up at his own hair, using one hand to brush as his ponytail. But more importantly he was surprised at seeing a talking horse. "Anar'alah, you've got to be kidding me..."


	2. New Friends, Chapter 1

It was quite a shock for Gai'vahros to see such a spectacle as a talking pony. He wanted to open his mouth and just let his thoughts pour out but what is it he could say that his mind hadn't even strewn together yet? The words just wouldn't come to his mind besides a blank slate in disbelief. He had to spend some time to gain composure but then it sprang to mind that in his world there are animals that talk. However those animals were deities or some sort of natural spirit in bestial form. This filly was just... well, a small horse. Nothing about her looked grand or omnipotent. Just a normal pale yellow foal with cherry hair. And those huge eyes. Damn those cute, huge eyes.

The Elf couldn't help but just stare into the eyes of the pony and just watch her stand there. Her expression was one of mild fear, more than likely under the belief that the Blood Knight was indeed an evil hedgehog monster. Her eyes fixated upon the Elf before slightly shifting up and down, scanning his presence. Even though so much seemed to happen it was all just in a small window of time. To Gai'vahros it seemed liked minutes, to which he was surprised that the young foal hadn't made a single move. Gai'vahros wanted to move, to say something, anything, but was afraid that his sudden course of action was going to startle her. He had to be gentle. Subtle.

"Ahhhhh!" The young foal screamed, quickly turning and sprinting away, leaving behind a trail of dust behind her. The breeze picked up a little as it violently caused the Elf's cape to whisk and shimmer in the wind to one side. It wasn't the gentleness nor the subtlety that Gai'vahros was planning for.

"Ugh, so much for subtlety," The Elf muttered to himself, turning to the left where his cloak kept flowing, grasping it with his arm and pulling it back down behind him. "But then again, I'm not a rogue." The breeze seemed to die down a little as he looked down to the pathway, able to see faint tracks of hooves in the dirt that gave way to the young pony's destination. Careful not to wipe the tracks away with his own or with his cape Gai'vahros trailed it, noticing the path lead off to the side and onto a second. "Where is everyone anyway? For a town it seemed... deserted."

It seemed the entire path was just made of neatly trimmed grass, about a width of three feet that seemed to go in a straight line was cut much shorter than the rest of the field, giving it a much lighter shade than the two sides. The trees surrounding the area looked so beautiful to the Elf as they had reminded him of the days in Quel'Thalas, just a lot more green and not as autumn-y. The breeze picked up a little as the fringed in front of Gai'vahros' face swished to one side, almost blocking his sight as a result.

Within short time Gai'vahros came across a small hill, the pathway traversing over it though not too steeply, flanked on both sides by lush purple mounds, growing shades of emerald green grass and small forms of fungi. The Elf had seen this kind of thing before, normally in the wake of the Scourge or through some sort of arcane infusion. He didn't pay much attention to it in the least however; it wasn't likely that the Scourge would be able to come here, and even if they did there would be a lot more telltale signs of an undead invasion.

Trekking over the hill Gai'vahros laid eyes on something he never thought he would see again, at least not in such a short span of time since his aid of Mount Hyjal. In sight of the Elf was a rather large tree that resembled a sort of house, building or shop, the door shaped into an acute archway with a crimson door fastened by gold or brass hinges with a sign with a book outside of it to the left. Parts of the tree has small balconies on them, sky-lined with grassy thatched roofing above them. Amethyst coloured windows sat upon oak window frames with some of them with interior framing styled to look like branches. On the top of the tree rest one more balcony although this one was fastened with a telescope upon it. Gai'vahros believed that maybe this was some sort of mage shop or astronomy emporium. Whatever it was it felt extremely bizarre to the veteran Elf.

Gai'vahros began to reach the conclusion that whoever lived, owned, ran or even indeed built this colossal monument was one of great wisdom and power. Proceeding towards the structure Gai'vahros began to here small voices from behind the door, which was only a few inches shorter than he was. And he was quite small himself. He only began to see humour in the thought of a Draenei or Night Elf try and fit through the doorframe. Regardless of his mind deciding to lament in hilarity, Gai'vahros thought it would be wise to try and find help, or even refugee, in the wake of hi unfortunate predicament.

"But Twi, I'm telling ya the truth," Gai'vahros could hear murmurs behind the redwood door, a deep treble in the voice seemed to indicate it was some sort of heated discussion or argument. That and the fact he was standing several meters from the door. "There really _is_ a huge hedgehog monster outside!" Gai'vahros definitely recognized the voice now, but then again it was the only thing here that referred to him as a "huge hedgehog monster".

"Apple Bloom, for the last time," The other voice sounded very stern, sweet, and impatient at the same time. "There's no such thing as a "Huge hedgehog monster". This book has details of every living creature, real and mythical, in Equestria, and nothing in here suggests of a huge hedgehog monster. Except a large hedgehog, of course."

"Fine. I'll get mah sister to come help me then!" Suddenly the door flung open as, surprise surprise, the same young foal from earlier burst through the doorway with a good head of speed. However, she seemed to be looking back towards the building when she suddenly collided with the steel boots of Gai'vahros. Shaking her head, the pony looked up at the staring eyes of the Elf before letting off another scream. "Twi, TWIII! It's here! It's following me!" Before Gai'vahros could even so much and raise a smile the foal turned and blitzed back inside the building, twice the speed as before, before slamming the door shut.

"... Ah..." Gai'vahros raised a hand as if to call after her but then let it slump down to his side. Giving a soft sigh he stood and waited for something to happen. From the corner of his eye he saw the young filly peek out from the side of the window, though as he turned his head she quickly pulled back to the side. "Well, this escalated quickly."

"Alright, alright, Apple Bloom," The door opened, revealing a pale lavender-toned pony with a very neat and tidy style of mane of indigo that cast a small fringe over her while the rest was swept back and part of it hung over her left shoulder. Her mane had two stripes of colour as well, one of a deep purple and one of violet, like highlights in a person's hair. What Gai'vahros noticed the most was she had a horn on her head. He never thought horses could naturally grow horns. The pony didn't seem to notice Gai'vahros though, her head turned to the side looking down, more than likely addressing the young filly with her. "Let's see what your hedgehog monster looks-" As her head swung up to meet Gai'vahros, though a distance of a few meters between them, her eyes widened while her pupils shrunk a fair amount. She seemed to have a look of absolute surprise on her face. "Oh my gosh it _is_ a huge hedgehog monster!"

'Why does everyone have to keep calling me that?' Gai'vahros thought to himself, rolling his eyes to the side, using one of his hands to fiddle with one of the bangs that sat over his face before staying his hand. "I don't suppose you could-" As he spoke the lavender pony lowered her head and raised her flank upwards, as though in some sort of battle pose. Her eyes darted towards him as her face twisted into a scowl. The horn on her head began to glow in an aura of purples and blues, more than likely casting a spell.

"I don't know what you are or what you want, but I won't have anyone scare or hurt my friends," her voice took a very serious and protective tone. She was serious enough to use her magic as a means to deter Gai'vahros one way or another. "So I think you should just leave!"

"Listen, Miss, I just-" Suddenly from seemingly out of nowhere a small hard object clonked the Elf in the side of the head, causing him to stumble sideward slightly, almost tripping over his own feet. Holding his head and wincing slightly, her turned to see a small stone on the ground beside him. "Some sort of... telekinetic power?" Gai'vahros mumbled to himself quietly; he didn't think that mages could use telekinesis. He looked back up to the horned pony, rubbing his head lightly to check to see if he was bleeding. Fortunately no, but now his hair was ruffled slightly.

"There's more of that if you continue to stay here!" The pony was determined to get rid of Gai'vahros but the Elf would not have any of it. If he needed to he would be rid of her one way or another if it meant he could get some help. He wasn't fond of slaying horses; in all the things he's had to do he ended up having to bring horses back to their owners. He didn't know if he felt comfortable with this.

"Listen, I need to-" Again the Elf wasn't able to finish his words. From out of the door three quill pens darted towards the Elf but, due to his armour, the pens simply just ricochet off the gold plate and had been flung in different directions. "Hah, is that really meant to-" Suddenly something dark was splashed into the Blood Knight's face. Spitting a bit out, Gai'vahros recognized the taste of it. "Ink... Ink!? No, not in my... Not in MY HAIR!" Gai'vahros grabbed the front bangs from his face and desperately tried to ring out the ink but to no avail. He then tried with the locks that hung over his shoulders but it only began to stain his pale golden strands.

"I'll ask you one last time, beast," The pony wasn't afraid to unleash whatever horrors could be unshackled that had a good possibility of ruining the Elf's brilliant looks and astonishing hair. "Leave us alone or I'll... I'll... do something REALLY bad to your hair!"

"My word what kind of monster is this?" Gai'vahros muttered to himself, wiping away the ink from his face, leaving a mask of black smudge along his face. "If only I had four others here to help me..." Gai'vahros was beginning to get a bit more desperate, he began to plead with the young horse. He never, ever thought he'd have to concede against a mare. "My Lady, please, I'm here to seek help." Finally the Elf managed to get a word in that wasn't interrupted by a flying rock, quill pens or the dreaded inkwell.. He began to understand the pain that spell casters have to go through in combat.

The pony's horn began to lose its glow, signalling her stay of combat. She reared to an upright position again, although her eyes didn't change for the most part, although her look changed from danger to caution. "Help? What sort of help do you need?" Her voice seemed to change to a more hospitable tone although she kept a fierce gaze upon the Blood Knight.

Gai'vahros sighed a little before looking around. He didn't think it was be appropriate for him to tell his long tale in the middle of the outdoors. At least not in these circumstances. "I'm sorry but may we discuss this inside?" The Elf dared not move considering her stance in this confrontation. He knew it would be best to play it subtle and diplomatically under her circumstances, considering the fact that he had not any of his armoury with him besides his uniform.

The lavender mare was cautious although the look on her face did relent with a soft sigh. Her eyes became much more kind-hearted than earlier, with a small smile fixed upon her face. "... Oh okay. Come in," She turned and walked through the door, leading into a large room on what seemed like oak with a surrounding facade of bookshelves. Gai'vahros could just about see inside but noticed the scenery immediately. The room also consisted of a small red rug and a small desk in the corner next to a window, just about big enough to fit himself upon. "You seem like a good... creature. You never once retaliated, so you must be sincere in your words, right?"

"Yes, thank you, my Lady Pony." Gai'vahros gave a small smile and bowed slightly in respect before gently kneeling down in order to get through the doorway. The room wasn't much smaller than he had though prior to entering although his hair did brush against the ceiling. He had hoped that no dust and cobwebs would ruin his perfect ponytail.

"Hehe, you can just call me 'Twilight'." The young mare gave a small giggle as she stood next to a small table in the center of the room. Apple Bloom, the other young filly, stood at the far side of the room to one of the nearby windows. "Oh and don't mind Apple Bloom. She tends to get pretty scared of new creatures she finds."

"Hey, ah wasn't scared! Ah was just a bit... cautious!" The young foal has a cute expression of mediocre frustration on her face that seemed to just make her look more adorable. At least to Gai'vahros, anyway.

"Haha, it's okay, as long as I'm not known as the big hedgehog monster anymore. And you don't throw ink in my face either. Thank you again for the hospitality my Lady Twilight, I appreciate it."

"When I said 'Twilight' I meant... Oh, nevermind. Welcome to my home."


	3. New Friends, Chapter 2

The day passed on as though nothing was within discomfort for the poor Blood Elf. Even though he was in a land completely different from his own and, indeed, anything he had ever encountered before, he still took some joy in living in the splendid world that he had no choice but to take refuge in. However despite the good tidings that seemed to just envelope him at every moment he still felt the longing to be back in the field of battle that was on Azeroth. He had come to live in the moment of war as though it was just another normal part of his daily life. He did seem to miss the gold he received for his efforts the most, however.

The Elf had found himself sat upon the small desk in the middle of the room, strong enough to hold his rather short yet muscular frame and also half of his armour; the top half sat in a neat golden pile that glistened in the sunlight as he sat bare-chested as Twilight used her magic to start cleaning the ink from the Blood Knight's amazingly groomed hairstyle and face. The Elf seemed to still be in distain that someone would spoil his good looks, not even caring about the wound on his head. Unless of course he started bleeding, then that would only stain his hair more.

"I'm sorry for earlier, by the way," Twilight had a very apologetic look on her eyes and she gave a small yet sweet smile, her horn channelling magic that poured a sort of conditioner from a dark blue bottle while also holding out lengths of his hair to apply it on, acting like shampoo. "but this conditioner should get out all of the ink from your hair. At least, I hope it does. By the way, what is your name? You've not introduced yourself yet."

"Yeah well, I hope you aren't going to charge me so much gold for this," The Blood Knight Gave a small huff as he muttered his words, a scowl of contempt and shifted emerald eyes fixated upon the young equine. "A simple haircut and those goblins think they can charge me through the nose for it." The Blood Elf seemed to me ranting at this point, but at least he knew he could get his hair fixed. Hopefully at a small price. "Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Gai'vahros Dawnbreaker."

"You... have goblins who fix your hair, Gai'vahros?" Twilight was rather astounded that the rather elegant creature would let monsters of such hideousness take a pair of clippers and a comb to his hair. "I don't think I would trust them to open a cupboard door."

"No. No, neither would I, my Lady Twilight. They would probably find a way to blow it up."

"So, uh, mister," The young Apple Bloom waltzed over to where Twilight and Gai'vahros were still grooming, looking up to the Elf with wondering eyes as though she had taken a certain liking to the man. "What are ya? I don't think I've ever seen ya around in the Everfree forest before. Are ya from around these parts?"

"I see you haven't had much run in with humanoids," Gai'vahros started, he eyes shifted from Twilight to Apple Bloom though he dared not turn his head, not while Twilight still took a firm grip of it with her magic. "I'm a Blood Elf. I come from a different land, or even a different world, than here, called Azeroth."

"A... "Blood" Elf?" Both Twilight and Apple Bloom stuttered at the same time. Twilight gave the impression that she was concerned, while Apple Bloom had the tone of fear, thinking that anything with the term "Blood" in it wasn't good news.

"Yes. We were once part of the Quel'Dorei, the High Elves. After being exiled from the rest of Elven Society for dabbling in the arts of Arcane Magic we managed to live in peace within Silvermoon. Our new home. That was, until the Scourge..." The Elf tightened his hands that were laid upon his thighs into fists, grasping as the red cloth that lay under his leg plates. "We were nearly all killed... driven to the brink of extinction. Us survivors renamed ourselves Sin'Dorei, Blood Elves, in honour of those who died in the battle against the Scourge Invasion... " The Elf looked down, lowering his head a little. His mind began to wonder for a moment while Twilight and Apple Bloom looked on, sympathy upon their faces as they looked at the silent knight. The tension in the air was thick, so much so that none of them knew how to respond. "My Lady Twilight, are you nearly finished with my hair?" The Blood Knight looked back up, his eyes more uplifted and with a small smile upon his lips.

"... Oh! Oh yes, we're done now," Twilight was lost in thought, lost in the despair that she seemed to enter at the look of the Elf's face. Suddenly, for a few second that felt like minutes, she found herself imagining the fate of his people, cut down and destroyed. And then she put herself in that position. Then she put Ponyville in the Quel'Dorei's positions. Finally, she played it through her mind, one moment after another. It was heartbreaking for the young equine, and yet she looked back at the creature who lived through it all and still could look back at her with a smile. She had great respect for this Elf. "So what of the land you live in? Is it all war and fighting?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Despite all that he has said Gai'vahros still kept a look of enjoyment upon his face as though he was about to tell stories of glory, though it was far from that, at least in the minds of present company. "Azeroth has always been about fighting. Since the foundation of the Horde and Alliance the two factions have been warring over the four continents of Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, Northrend and Pandaria. It is, in essence, a world of warcraft."

"But... that sounds horrible!" Apple Bloom was starting to get more fired up from listening that it began to become physically hurtful for her. "Why must two factions fight over a whole world! Surely there was a time when there was all smiles an' laughter, right? ... Right?"

"A few times. After the Legion invaded Azeroth in the Third War the Horde and Alliance stood on common ground against a common foe, and stayed at peace with each other for a few years. I'm not sure how but the peace treaty was broken after that. Then it seemed for a number of years we aided one-another in the enemies to come; Illidan, Kil'Jaeden, Arthas, Deathwing, all fell before the might of Azeroth's greatest warriors... me included. And now, we're back to fighting each other again, bringing our ridiculous war to a beautiful land that hadn't seen conflict in ten thousand years."

"They all sound like such powerful creatures. And in the span of time you faced each one, you must have been quite the war veteran," Twilight looked upon the Elf with adore that reminded her of her brother, Shining Armor. "I think the Royal Guards could do with some-pony like you."

"Don'tchya ever get tired of fighting, Gai?" Apple Bloom had a sad look on her face, not wanting to hear so much about fighting.

"..." Gai'vahros stayed silent for a moment. He looked to the young filly and seemed to catch on that she didn't want to hear so much about his war efforts and violence. "No, young Apple Bloom. I do not," But before she could feel any sort of heartache from his words he placed his soft, bare hand upon her head, petting her mane gently. The young foal was bewildered as to how someone who only ever fought for a living could be so gentle in his approach. "But that's because we all fight for what we think is right. We fight for our ideals, to protect our home, our family, our friends, our people. That is why I fight. That is why I live."

"Oh, Gai'vahros, I've finished cleaning your armour now," Twilight used her magic to display the Elf's armour as though it was handing on a mannequin, displaying the pure perfection in the shine and craftsmanship in the plates, the softness of the embroidered silk and then tanning work in the leather straps. "It seems like this conditioner works really well of clothes and metal too. Maybe I should try giving this to Rarity?"

"Oh I don't think you should make your conditioner too rare, my Lady Twilight," Gai'vahros suggested in good faith to the young pony, starting to adorn his armour once again, slipping on the underlay first before strapping back on the shoulder plates. "I think it would be great if more people could experience the perfection of that concoction. And smells strangely like raspberries, too."

"Hehe, no, not that kind of "rarity"," Twilight gave a small giggle as she placed a small cork back onto the bottle before slipping it into a satchel. She began to proceed to a small stairwell that lead to an upper floor. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to find some more of this stuff." Happily she proceeded up the steps with soft sounds of trotting, leaving Apple Bloom and Gai'vahros on their own. "Oh if Spike comes back, tell him I need a new ink well!"

"Yeah I don't need reminding of what happened to the last one," Gai'vahros gave a small sight as he straightened out his spaulders after slipping back on his gauntlets. "Erm, exactly what is a "Spike" anyway? Is that the name of her pet?"

"Oh no, Spike is our friend," Apple Bloom said with a smile on her face. "He's a lil baby dragon that Twilight was given while he was just an egg. He helps her around the place from time to time."

"A dragon? Pray tell, what colour? Blue? Black? Red?"

"Nooo he's purple. Why d'ya ask?"

"Nothing, just curious." Gai'vahros began to think for a moment, though he'd never come across a purple dragon... Then it clicked. Yes he has come across a purple dragon before. "... No... surely not the Twilight... Anar'alah, it all makes sense!" Gai'vahros muttered to himself but he couldn't help but raise his voice at the end, with Apple Bloom in earshot.

"Arm... Gai, what makes sense?"

"I don't see why I didn't notice it before! Lady Twilight is purple, the same colour as the Twilight Dragonflight, and now Spike is a friend or hers and a purple dragon too, signifying him being of the Twilight Dragonflight! Twilight Sparkle is an agent of the Twilight's Hammer and is raising Spike to be the new harbinger of death!" However, as soon as the Blood Knight finished his synopses the door flung open at the shove of a small dragon foot, revealing the same little dragon that Gai'vahros had spoken about not moments ago. "... That's not what a Twilight Dragon looks like at all."

"Oh Hey Spike," Apple Bloom exclaimed as she saw the little reptile carrying a handful of books and sheets of paper. "Twilight said ya need to go get a new ink well for her. The last one got... uh... knocked over." She gave a wide, cheesy grin as she strung the last few of her words together.

"Heya Apple Bloom," The young dragon greeted her in kind, which amazed Gai'vahros greatly; he never knew dragons so young could learn common so quick. "Well, I'll get a new ink well later. I need to eat something badly." Spike couldn't see over the books and sheets so well so his notice of the tall Elf didn't click until he rested the books down, noticing a large body to one side. Looking up he was greeted with glistening emerald eyes and a wild mane. "Gah! A-Apple Bloom, what _is_ that!?"

"Oh Spike, this here is an Elf! Spike, meet Gai. Gai, meet Spike." Apple Bloom looked from one party to another when she addressed them both by name, still keeping a small smile on her face.

"Oh... uh, hey. You're not here to hurt us or anything?" Spike still wasn't comfortable for being in the same building as Gai'vahros, let alone talking to him.

"No no, of course not," Gai'vahros said cheerfully as he sat up, causing the young dragon to flinch for a moment, backing behind Apple Bloom. "I came here seeking assistance from your master, Lady Twilight."

"Hey, I ain't any-pony's master," Spike said in retaliation to what was seemingly an offensive notion. "I just do think for her because... well, she's my friend. One of my best friends."

"Heh, that's great," Gai'vahros gave a little chuckles as he kneeled down to Spike's level which still made the Elf a few inches taller than him. Spike seemed a bit nervous at first but he still stood his ground. "Doing things for your friends, sharing that special bond, is a great thing to have, my friend." The Blood Knight placed his silk hand upon the head of the young dragon, who found it felt like being bathed in warmth, reassuring him of his intentions. "It's a very admirable trait. Don't lose sight of it. Never leave it behind." As sudden as he did the Elf left his hand from the dragon and stood up straight again.

"Yeah... perhaps I am admirable. I mean- sure I am! I'll do anything for my friends! At least as long as I get some ice cream as a reward- or a ruby! No, a sapphire! Or an emerald! Ohhhhh I'd love a diamond!"

"Oh Spike, you're back!" Twilight made her way back down to the ground floor, carrying a couple more bottles in her pack. "Did you have time to talk to our new visitor?"

"Uhuh, he said I was admirable!" Spike was very proud of himself now, but all children, in Gai'vahros' opinion, just need praise in their lives to grow to be great people. "So Twi, how else can I admirably help you?"

"Hehe, oh Spike," Twilight gave a giggle and smile at her friend's newfound inspiration in helping her. "Well I need a new ink well, three quill pens, raspberries, saffron, aloe vera, five small corked glass bottles, red silk, purple silk, and a couple of buckles. Think you could get all that for me, Spike?"

"And I thought the things I had to get were atrocious..." Gai'vahros gave a small sigh, feeling sorry for the poor dragon."

"Erm... okay, Twilight..." It seemed that newfound inspiration took a turn for the worse as he became a bit overwhelmed with the amount of things he had to get.

"Don't worry Spike, I'll ask Rarity if she'll give you a new big diamond for being such a great, and admirable, friend." And like that, Spike's newfound inspiration was, well, newfound. Again. "Apple Bloom, I think you should go home now. Applejack is probably worried about you."

"Awwwwww but Twi, I wanna hang out with you and Gai!"

"You can later Apple Bloom. I don't think Gai'vahros is going anywhere anytime soon. Oh by the way Gai'vahros, do you want to accompany me to Rarity's place? She's a good friend of mine and I think she would love to see your clothes. Maybe you can inspire her?"

"Oh, she's a tailor? Can she make magic carpets?"

"Haha, oh Gai'vahros, you never cease to amaze me with your quips." Twilight let out a small chuckle as she headed out of the door.

"... But... I was being serious..."


	4. New Friends, Chapter 3

The veteran Blood Elf and his new associate Twilight Sparkle ventured from the tree-built library along a different path that seemed to be scattered with cobbles but was largely made of grass. The way was flanked from the north and south by rows of cottages which were only slightly smaller than what existed on Azeroth although it had been a while since Gai'vahros had actually seen Alliance-esque architecture. In a way the Elf seemed calm at the sight of what was recognizable within a world whose natural workings were much different than what was back home.

"So Lady Twilight," Gai'vahros began, looking down at the lavender equine, his tone was that of curiosity. "What kind of skill does your tailor friend have? Expert? Artisan? Master?" The Elf was more inclined to refer to certain professions by a skill category, as was the norm back on Azeroth, although it was unbeknown to him that Equestria doesn't have such titles.

"I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at, Gai'vahros," She looked up to the side of him, not so close but perhaps a few inches apart. She was confused by such titles and, even to her, she didn't know whether or not these titles existed in Equestria or not, certainly not in Canterlot. "But she is a great tailor. She once made us all dresses to the Grand Galloping Gala! You should have seen what she made for us with... well, not so much help from us..." She began to remember about the time when her and her friends went a bit too demanding for the first set of dresses which didn't turn out so astonishing.

"Well, she can't be of too high a rank or of much skill if she can't create a magic carpet," Again Gai'vahros' ignorance of professions began to weigh him down as he belittled Rarity's talents, although not out of spite or bad intention. "I mean surely she would be able to make one if she had the materials?"

"For the last time Gai'vahros we do NOT make flying carpets! I mean sure there's probably a spell or two in the Royal Library's scrolls that will let us make a carpet fly, but Tailors cannot make magic carpets!" It seemed that had kept circling this conversation for some time although Gai'vahros wouldn't get his head around the fact that a high level tailor couldn't make a flying carpet.

"..." Gai'vahros paused for a moment before he came to a sudden, and wrong, conclusion. "So perhaps She just decided not to bother learning how to make magic carpets?" The Blood Elf seemed rather sure of himself.

"Ugh," Twilight was starting to show signed of her frustration with the constant questioning of Rarity's tailoring and magic carpets. "Yes, Gai'vahros, that's exactly right. She just didn't want to learn how to make flying carpets..."

It seemed that throughout the entirety of their conversation neither of them had taken notice that the village was much more lively than before, what with many a pony out around the town conversing with each other, buying their shopping at the market stalls, playing and such. However, activity seemed to cease from mass enactment to a slow crawl as the ponies turned to watch Twilight and to stare at the shining Elf that was several inches taller than the mare. It seemed that with their unsettling conversation over the two of them took notice of the gawking.

"Oh, Hello. Hello there. Good Morrow. A fine day, yes?" Gai'vahros gave a slight wave to those who he turned to catch their attention to, but with most ponies he had greeted within a warmth manner did not seem to return the favour, except giving uncomfortable smiles or quickly turning away from his emerald eyes. "I don't think they're taking a liking to me, my Lady Twilight." The Blood Knight stated quietly within earshot of his companion.

"They're just not used to seeing new, uh, people," Twilight gave a hesitant reply as to how exactly to address Gai'vahros by species, though the common form seemed appropriate to her. "Every-pony are just afraid of the unknown, so to say. They'll get to know you in time. Don't worry, Gai'vahros."

"I can only imagine what they would do if I were alone. Probably form a mob and declare a man-hunt for the dangerous hedgehog monster." Gai'vahros seemed to take black humour at his own expense with his new title of evil hedgehog monster.

"Oh come now, Gai'vahros, they wouldn't do that. They'll probably just hide in their houses until you disappeared. It's happened before."

"Oh, so I'm not the only one? It's a shame that people could suffer such prejudice and bigotry," Gai'vahros gave a small sigh as he gave a gaze back to the ponies the two of them had left behind, but his flowing cape seemed to give a sense of tyranny as it blew behind him, causing the ponies to turn away or to quickly walk in the other direction. "Perhaps Lor'themar was right. We do exist because of the racism of others."

"Hey, don't be like that, Gai'vahros," Twilight stopped for a moment, in front of an arching wooden and marble bridge of pearly white. "When Zecora came to our village, we were all afraid of her. But ever since Apple Bloom showed us that she wasn't dangerous at all we all became friends! So don't worry Gai'vahros, you'll fit right in with everyone once they all get to know you." Twilight's smile definitely set a good comfort zone for the Elf. Turning back towards the bridge she began to trek across it. "Come, Rarity's place is not far from here."

Gai'vahros gave a toothy smile as he followed a few feet from behind Twilight. He began to understand why she was able to have so many friends despite by her own account that she had not been in this village for an awfully long time. It seemed that whenever he had stood next to the lavender equine her joy and overall happy nature radiated from her and poured itself into the Elf's own soul. The only time he had ever felt such a feeling was in front of the Naaru and the Sunwell. He began to entertain the thought that perhaps Twilight Sparkle was the pony equivalent of a Naaru in terms of giving off her great nature.

Within a few minutes the pair of them came to a pathway that seemed to be cut much shorter than the rest of the grass that circumferences around a rather large structure in the middle. The building was made of marble and patterned in checkered and stylized filigree or light pinks and blues. Upon the ground floor two large, circular windows with saffron curtains adorning along the tops of them sat on the sides next to a lavender door with diamond-shaped windows, while the outside walls were fitted with a circular awning of pale pink supported by striped dark indigo pillars, thin yet elegant. The first floor was much of the same although there was one large window with pink curtains around it, supporting a large cone-shaped dome with the same pillars as the ground floor, but with two pony-like statues on either side. It seemed that whoever owned this building was indeed rich, successful or otherwise influential. Gai'vahros thought that perhaps she must be a great tailor if she could afford such a marvellous piece of architecture.

"Ah, here we are," Twilight gave out in contentment as he looked up to the building before looking down at the door. Trotting up to it, she used her fore-leg to knock on the door casually twice. "Rarity? Are you home?"

"Oh! Twilight! I'll be with you in just a moment!" A rather shrill yet very sophisticated voice yelled from within the confines of the building although it was very quiet, even with the Blood Elf's ears having a little bit of trouble picking it up despite being several feet back from Twilight. A moment gave a brief pause before the door casually opened to reveal a rather elegant white pony, long lashes and an equally elegant hairdo of deep purple. "Why Twilight darling, what an ab-so-lute pleasure to see you! In fact I needed someone to-" She paused for a moment as she took notice of the rather tall Elf standing off in the distance. "Oh, Twilight, is that a friend of yours? Please say yes!" Rarity seemed to be more ecstatic of Gai'vahros than afraid of him, with a large smile over her lips.

"Uh, actually, we only just met a short while ago and-" Twilight tried to give a respond but the white mare galloped out of the door, past her, and right in front of Gai'vahros before she had a chance to finish.

"Oh my, your friend has a great sense of fashion about it, Twilight! Just LOOK at him! Such great armour, or pure polished gold, shimmering and shining in the sun that could put the Royal Guards to shame! Oh, don't tell them I said that," She was completely infatuated with the raiment that the Blood Elf had upon his person, using her front hooves to touch, feel and caress the metalwork and cloth much to the discomfort to the Blood Knight. "And won't you just FEEL this cloth! I mean, it's nothing compared to Equestrian silk of course, what with the low thread count and lack of detail, but I think with my expertise we can, shall we say, rework some of these problems?"

"Oh, my Lady Rarity, I'm honoured you would do such a thing for me," Gai'vahros stuttered for a moment, pressing backwards a little as the pony began to invade more and more of his person with her curious hooves. "But I can't accept such a gift; we've only just met one-another."

"Ohhhh and such a masculine yet sophisticated voice!" It seemed that whatever Gai'vahros did the obsessed mare would just eat it up from his hands. The Elf thought that perhaps the best thing to do was just to keep his mouth shut. "And darling, I always make new clothes for all of my friends, and anyone who's a friend of Twilight's is a friend of mine. Come, come, come, we have much work to do." As she spoke as went round to the back of the Blood Knight and with two front hooves she quickly shoved him forwards, into Twilight, and shoving the duo into her store before closing the door behind all of them.

As the time began to pass slowly the trio began to take part in conversation pertaining to the Blood Elf. Although the conversation seemed to flow in the same direction that Twilight and Apple Bloom had taken part in back at the library Rarity was more interested in the workings of how fashion worked within Gai'vahros' own world. The Elf could not give as much detail as he had wanted to however mainly because he himself was not a tailor, never thought of being a tailor, and thus had no knowledge of what tailors could achieve, besides creating magic carpets. Twilight was more than eager to halt Gai'vahros' attempt in discussion about such a matter though; she was more or less done with the topic of magic carpets.

"So, Gai Darling," Rarity spoke as she sat at a sewing machine, draped with red equestrian silk as she began to sew several drapes together that was part of the faulds that were attached to the chest plate of Gai'vahros' armour, which again lay next to a table with all of the cloth removed. "How do you go out into battle all the time and yet keep this garb in such pristine condition?"

"Well it gets battle-worn regularly," Gai'vahros gave out a soft sigh, once again finding himself sat at a table almost completely naked besides the dark tan boxers he has on under his armour, refusing to take it off even at rarity's request. "Every so often I get them repaired and patched up. I can't recall how much gold I have spent over the years on repair bills..."

"I must say that whomever has been keeping up with the repairs has done a remarkable job with it," rarity praised the craftsmanship that was performed by Azerothian blacksmiths. "Well, except the embroidery, it's still a bit tattered here and there. But don't worry my darling Elf, Rarity will make sure that you leave here looking like a completely different knight."

"Again I must thank you, my Lady Rarity. I'm glad that there are those that do not look upon the unknown with judgmental eyes."

"I told you, Gai'vahros," Twilight intervened into the conversation in aim of assuring the Blood Elf. "There are ponies here who will gladly make friends with you. Although it seems like Rarity is more in love with your clothing." The pony gave a small chuckle as she finished her words, with Gai'vahros doing the same with a smile on his lips.

"What's that now," Rarity's ears pricked up as she gave a concerned look towards the Elf. "Ponies have been mean to you? Well whatever for?"

"Oh it's nothing, Rarity. The ponies in the town were just staring at Gai'vahros here; nothing bad or mean was said by anyone. You know how every-pony gets when they see a new creature, uh, person, in town."

"Well I never! How dare anyone be discourteous to my darling Gai! But, I guess you are right, Twilight darling; people can be rather... cautious when new people show up. But Gai, don't take it personally. I'm sure Twilight has told you that the new people who stay here find that they easily fit in."

"But my Ladies, that's the thing," Gai'vahros stood up from his seat, up straight, showing off his toned and athletically built body. using his arms he swung them down in front of him as though he was presenting himself to his associates. "I'm not a pony. I'm not even from this world! I'm just-"

"A friend of ours, Gai'vahros," Twilight placed a fore-hoof on the hardened muscle of the Elf's forearm. "It doesn't matter what others think of you. What matters is that you have friends here and that we'll be here for you."

"Exactly, Gai darling. What with Twilight's book smarts and my fashion sense, you'll have a great time here until we can find a way for you to get back home. Well, up until the getting-you-back-home part; I'm not sure how my fashion can help you with that."

"Heh, maybe you can tailor me a portal back to Silvermoon." Gai'vahros joked as he gave a little laugh, followed by the laughter of both ponies. To the Elf he felt a lot of happiness being with these equines despite the complete contrast in what he was used to. He always thought of settling down, raising a family, and living a quiet life, so perhaps this was a taste of what life outside of monster-slaying and adventuring was like.

"Oh, we're done now!" Rarity exclaimed as she used the magic of her horn to hold up Gai'vahros' suit of armour, much like Twilight had did some time before, after fitting the new cloth to the plates while they were conversing. Even from a distance Gai'vahros could tell how much better the armour looked in its cloth as it shimmered from the light that glistened through the glass windows. With a smile the Elf stepped forwards and began to adorn himself back into his raiment, noticing a completely different feel as the equestrian silks caressed over his bare skin. It felt so much better than Elven silk by far. "So how does it feel, Gai darling?"

"It... it feels absolutely amazing, my Lady Rarity," Gai'vahros was dumbfounded by the difference from before. He felt more flexible and also felt much lighter than before, suggesting that this equestrian silk was lighter than that of Elven silks. "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me today. There must be a way for me to repay you?"

"Oh it's nothing at all, dear. But if you must repay me you could stay a while longer while I get Twilight to do some fitting for a new dress I'm making, so I can get a good look at your hair style. It looks so... fierce! Like it screams "Come at me, evildoers, for I will strike down with great vengeance and furious retribution!" Maybe I could start a new beauty salon as well, or even pitch the idea to the beauty spa!"

"Haha, okay then, my Lady Rarity. Maybe I can talk with you about tailoring, such as magic carpets."

"Oh please no, not with the magic carpets!"


	5. New Friends, Chapter 4

The sun emblazoned the sky upon the glitter of sun-kissed gold and hues of the palest veil of yellows, coating and piercing through the cotton clouds that wisped slowly through the mid-afternoon sky. Slight washes of violet and reds began to mask the horizon as the sun started to set in the distance, suggesting that the time was somewhere between 4 and 7pm, though it was hard to be precise what with no knowledge of the climate, seasons or even what the time itself was.

At the Carousel Boutique grounds it seemed that it was closing time for some of the other shops, with ponies leaving their tents, doing up the zippers to the entrance folds to keep them closed, packing their belongings and heading off back to the town square for a good evening of rest and relaxation. The equine were friendly to one another, greeting one another, asking about their day to which were a mix of replies from fantastic to abysmal, before finally exchanging farewells.

Rarity's boutique was no different. Gai'vahros and Twilight Sparkle were finally done with Rarity's request in her pattern cutting, and so felt as though it was time to take leave. The white pony tailor wasn't too keen with the two of them leaving, however, feeling that their stay was short despite being a few hours.

"Oh but darlings, do you have to go? And so soon," Rarity was vividly disappointed and she wasn't about to let up on her insistence. "And I have tea and cupcakes ready for all of us, too." It seemed at some point during her work she was baking, most probably for tonight's tea time. The pony had a big smile on her face to further abstract the guilt and empathy from her two friends.

"I'm sorry, Rarity," Twilight apologized to her friend, smiling back but showing her sympathy for putting rarity's not-so-hard work at baking to waste. "But I really need to get back and start on my schedule. Oh, and I want to try and introduce Gai'vahros to everyone before it gets too dark."

"Oh, I understand, Twilight," Rarity responded in a more cheerful manner, understanding that it would be in Gai'vahros' best interest to make him feel at home and comfortable here due to the uncertain nature of the duration of his stay. "Well, take some of these cupcakes with you; there's no sense in letting them go to waste." As she spoke she proceeded to the kitchen and, after a moment, came back with a tray of cupcakes balanced on her back before shifting them onto the table beside the three of them.

"Oh, my Lady rarity, you are too kind," the Elf praised the pony, who responded with a small giggle. "But I only eat after a harsh battle. Perhaps I should give my share to your pet Spike, lady Twilight?"

"Oh yes," Rarity said in sudden inspiration, trotting over to a small chest she had tucked away under a cabinet next to one of the side windows. "I almost forgot about my little Spikey-Wikey! Here, take him one of these, I'm sure he'll love it!" Rarity came back with a rather large gem in her hoof, that of a pristine emerald. The gem was a square cut, most probably used to fasten onto cufflinks or as buttons.

"Oh, thanks Rarity. I almost forgot I promised Spike that I would bring him back a jewel for all the hard work he's done for me today."

"Oh my, hard work? Like, heavy labour?" It seemed that Rarity was concerned for the young dragon, rushing over to her chest again. "I should give Spikey another one so he can get his strength back, the poor darling!" Again Rarity came back with another gem within her grasp, this time a sapphire of utmost quality, shaped like an oval.

"Actually, my Lady Rarity, I was hoping if I could take one as well?" It was a rather forward request from the Blood Knight, although he gave a small bow with a hand upon his chest as a sign of respect for the equine. "You've done so much for me that it is within my honour to repay your generosity, but I must locate my equipment first."

"Oh Gai darling, you've already done so much for me, but if you insist," A final time she proceeded to her chest, but this time taking longer, reaching in deeper into the chest as though she had already known what she was looking for. Indeed, she did, and after a brief moment she gave a small cry as she trotted back, rather sure of herself, and presented a rather large gem in front of her. "This is an Equestria diamond, my dear; one of the rarest gems in the whole land!" The large diamond was of perfect clarity although the diamond itself was distorted in shape, being of a rounded cube but it was completely unsymmetrical on all faces. "But, it looks so... awkward, and huge, that I just can't find anything to use it on. So, I'm going to give it to you. Maybe you can find a use for it."

"Don't worry, my Lady Rarity," Gai'vahros gave a small smile as his hand wrapped around the great gem, lifting it from her hoof and, surprisingly, was quite light for a diamond of its size. "As soon as I find my kit I'll return it to you better than ever before. You have my word on that." The Elf handed the gem to Twilight, who immediately placed it in her satchel though not without staring at the jewel as though it was worth her weight, and that of her library and everything in it, including Spike, in gold.

"Well, I guess we should be off now," Twilight spoke up after pocketing the diamond. "Thank you for everything, rarity. I hope that lotion works really well for you." It seemed Twilight was pleased that she could help out her friend by giving her that new cleaning liquid for her clothes and materials. Both her and Gai'vahros headed to the door, with Gai'vahros opening it for the young equine, exchanging smiles before following her.

"Oh not at all, darlings. I hope to see more of you tomorrow." rarity came to the door and waved the two of them off before closing the door behind her.

"Oh, we should go to Applejack's place next," Twilight said as she gave a little smile to Gai'vahros. "She's Apple Bloom's older sister. And we can check to see if Apple Bloom had gone home, too. It's on the other side of Ponyville but it shouldn't take us so long. Oh by the way, Gai'vahros, what do you think of Rarity?"

"I, uh," Gai'vahros felt put on the spot for a moment, not knowing whether or not Twilight was expecting a specific answer. "Lady rarity is a magnificent woman, uh, pony. Sophisticated, glamorous... it's hard to describe in words."

"Haha, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were infatuated with her." There was a rather long pause, to which Twilight expected a reply from the Elf. But no such thing came. "Gai'vahros, _are_ you infatuated with Rarity?"

"No, of course not!" Gai'vahros shook his head violently, a look of discomfort on his face mixed with frustration that someone would suggest a thing like that. But again, another brief pause as he looked away, turning his head to the side to avoid eye contact. "I mean if she was an Elf then... you know... I possibly would find her attractive. Probably."

"Oh," Twilight felt rather embarrassed pushing this line of questioning. "Well, let's head over to Applejack's."

The way to Sweet Apple Acres was back over the bridge of marble and back through the town. Without further pause the two of them travelled over the bridge and back to the center of town where it was still populated although with many fewer pony than before. As Twilight and Gai'vahros walked through the pathway many of the equines turned to notice the Blood Knight, some having seen him the first time though most were new. These pony folk did not look upon him as a monster, but as a figure of glamour, many of them recognizing the silks and satins that were prominent in Rarity's tailoring. Even though they were more interested in his clothes rather than himself, Gai'vahros did not seem to mind so long as he wasn't being looked upon in abstract judgment.

Suddenly, one little foal proceeded slowly to both the lavender pony and the Blood Knight. The little pony was that of a pinto breed by Gai'vahros' understanding of equine terminology, having a darkened white coat with pale brown patches on his hind, his underbelly and over his eyes. His mane was that of a dark auburn colour, styled in a forward fringe. Gai'vahros was rather baffled by first but he took to the understanding that it was just another friend of Twilight's.

"Oh, Pipsqueak," Twilight greeted the little filly with a warm smile. "It's good to see you. Is there anything we can help you with?"

"Hello Twilight," Pipsqueak replied, much to the surprise of the Elf who thought his name sounded a bit demeaning. "Actually, I thought it would be jolly good to welcome the new person! I think it's brilliant that we get to have new people come stay in Ponyville."

"I'm honoured that you would do so," Gai'vahros replied with a small smile, looking down at the little pony, placing his hand on his head and petting him. For a moment Pipsqueak smiles but his face soon became more relaxed. Soothed. A blanket of warmth and a feel of glistening gold silk felt as though it wrapped around his small frame, like a child wood wrap the covers around him at night in fear of monsters. The feeling felt light, exhilarating, but not overwhelming. The feeling began to dissipate slowly as Gai'vahros lifted his hand from the pony. "You're a very kind and noble foal. I can see you achieve great things, little one." The little foal blushed but couldn't think of a way to respond besides show his embarrassment.

"By the way Pipsqueak, have you seen Apple Bloom? Do you know if she went home?

"I'm sorry Twilight, I haven't seen her all day. I've been helping mother and father with cleaning up our house."

"That's okay Pipsqueak, we'll head over to Sweet Apple Acres and see if she's there."

"Okay. See you around Twilight! Nice meeting you ... uh... Hedgehog Person!"

"Ugh, I should have seen that one coming." Gai'vahros sighed in dismay as people still referred to him as a hedgehog person, contemplating on just changing his hairstyle in the future. As the two of them proceeded to Applejack's place Gai'vahros began to think and wonder about something, looking down at Twilight's flank before responding. "My lady Twilight, I must ask; what are these pictures that you and others have on your rear?"

"Oh, those are our cutie marks," Twilight responded, turning back to see Gai'vahros looking down. She felt rather scholarly in teaching him the things of their world to the point of being somewhat overconfident. "You see, when a pony discovers their special trait, be it a personality quirk, an in-born trait, or a particular talent, it manifests itself as a cutie mark on our flanks. Take mine for instance, it shows that my special talent is magic."

"Oh, yes that makes a lot of sense now. So what about lady Rarity? She's a tailor and yet she has three gems as hers. I would have thought her "cutie mark" would be a wrapping of cloth or silk or something to that extent."

"Well, Rarity got hers because tailoring wasn't actually her strong point, so to say. You see, when Rarity first created her costumes, she insisted that they were not as good as they should be. That was when she discovered a boulder filled with gems and, after she put them on the costumes, did she finally believe they were as good as they could be. And that's why her cutie mark is three gems."

"That's some story. I've got to find some of these gem-filled boulders." The Blood Knight thought of himself as being much more knowledgeable, but the answer only sprung another question. "But, Apple Bloom and Pipsqueak didn't have any cutie marks. Does that mean they have no talents or anything?"

"I hope not, but a pony is born without a cutie mark, and so they gain it later on during their life, usually during their school days. Miss Cheerilee had taught every-pony that any-pony can get their cutie mark at whatever age, earlier or later. But, Apple Bloom is lucky, being able to have the freedom of exploration, to find out what she is, and have an infinite number of choices in her life."

"I understand that fully, my Lady Twilight," Gai'vahros admitted, to which he knew fully as to what it meant to be forced into a role, but he also knew of the fortune and virtues of it too. "But is it not also true that, once you discover your role, that you can then dedicate your body and soul to the purpose, to help those you love with your newfound talents?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Gai'vahros."

"So this Miss Cheerilee, is she a trainer in Equestrian lore?"

"By "Trainer" you mean "teacher", and by "equestrian lore" you mean "education", then yes. Does your world not deal with the prospect of education and schools?"

"We do things a bit differently. As children we are raised in whatever way our parents see fit; to become farmers, scholars, to gain martial training as a warrior, to follow the Light in the role of priests, to study the forces of the arcane as we become Magi. As children we become apprentices to guilds or masters of the craft we seek. I guess you could see it as a way of seeking out a cutie mark, through hard work, experience and determination."

"So Gai'vahros, what made you decide to become a... uh, Blood Knight?"

The Elf didn't know what to say. He stood for a moment, his head lowered as the trees swayed and danced upon shallow drifts of wind. Twilight did not notice for a moment, but eventually she turned back and saw the Elf standing, his head drooping, looking to one side with a look of discord upon him. It seemed that the subject of his past was one that hurt him deeply, one he'd rather not recall. "I'm sorry, my Lady Twilight. Perhaps another time," The Paladin looked up, but not with the smile that Twilight had started to get used to seeing. His lips straight with the look of indifference on it as he began to walk again, catching up to Twilight. "Your friend is this way, right?"

"Oh... yeah..." Twilight felt disheartened that she would bring upon a subject of turmoil for her new Elven friend. She had hoped that he had not held animosity against her as she began to lead him once again. "I'm sorry, Gai'vahros... I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, my Lady Twilight. Just... it's not lore I would say, even to my confidants. Some other time, perhaps." Twilight gave a sigh as she began to look sorrowful of what she had done. The young equine felt embarrassed, ashamed and regretful of questioning him about something that she had no right in knowing about. Even though, at the time, she felt it was harmless get-to-know-him small talk she couldn't help but feel as though it was her fault.

Without much further thought on the matter, before the Equine to delve any deeper into her dark despair, A sudden burst of light filled her soul as she felt the silk hand on Gai'vahros brush against her head and mane, stroking her from the top of her head to the base of her neck. It felt revitalizing, radiant, purging the shadows from her mind. She looked back to see the Elf smiling down at her.

"You worry too much, my Lady Twilight," The Blood Knight's eyes remained the same, but instead of being upset with himself, he was upset for Twilight, knowing that it was his chagrin who had caused her pain. The Elf lead with a smile to guide the pony's own. "Forget the past. Embrace the present. Look forward to the future."

"Oh, Gai'vahros," Twilight looked upon the golden knight with almost tear-welled eyes, sprawling an awkward smile upon her lips. She felt as though Celestia herself had blessed the equine with her own boon as soon as the Blood Knight touched his hand upon her. However, turning back, she looked towards a large structure shaped like a barn house, surrounded by a small fence with a large orchard out front. "Oh, it's just over there, Gai'vahros. Follow me."

Twilight dashed off into a gallop, heading straight towards Sweet Apple Acres. Gai'vahros, now in good spirits after inspiring his lavender friend, kept his large smile as he sprinted after her.


	6. New Friends, Chapter 5

It was a great spectacle for the Blood Knight to behold, for when compared to his own farm Sweet Apple Acres dwarfed his to miniscule levels. Gai'vahros' eyes widened as he approached the farmstead in all its expansive glory. His head turned from one side to the other, panning across its width although he understood that it wasn't as big as the Heartland, though perhaps that was the most impressive part of it; its size was comparable to a large farmstead housed by dozens of Pandaren, and yet one pony maintains this place on their own.

Sweet Apple Acres wasn't as lush as the field of the Valley of Four Winds but it was still easy on the eyes. The darkened path lead to a small opening in the fence with a hedge archway above it, with a wooden sign held by chains with an apple cut out of it. It was the best indication that this farm was run by Twilight's friend, Applejack.

The farm seemed to be split into three sections. The left side was filled with barn houses and chicken coops, likely as livestock to produce eggs, milk and any other produce that would be necessary, though Gai'vahros began to wonder if the ponies here actually eat livestock; he couldn't imagine Twilight gnawing on the meat of a roasted chicken leg, appearing almost barbaric in his own mind. Though besides livestock there was also bundles of hay and straw, mainly used for bedding for the other animals and for the chicken coops.

The right side was an entire expanse of tilled soils and earth, being the main area for crops although Gai'vahros' limited knowledge of farming made it difficult for him to tell what crop was what out of the ones that were still not fully grown, although he could make out the tops of carrots, corn and cabbages. It seemed to be the most attractive section for the Blood Elf due to his newfound liking for farming in the last few months. Besides the crops there was also two wells, used to water the crops he guessed, and several barrels likely to store the food in.

The last section sat at the opposite end, and was an incredibly large orchard, filled with rows upon rows of apple trees. Most of the orchard sat upon low ground from the rest of the farm so it was difficult to know exactly how many trees there were, but judging from where the elevation starts and then rises again in the distance Gai'vahros could guess it could be hundreds of yards long. The Elf began to think to himself that, surely, not one person does all of the apple picking on this farm, or even half of the other things that need doing.

Lastly, in the center of it all, was a large house-like structure that resembled a large barn house. Magenta is its colour scheme besides the white strips of wood on its corners, doors and other joinery work, it was decorated in dark paint on parts of its four facia that looked like fines. The roofing seemed to be of very light purple slates, set upon the entirety of the top and stretching onto two gable windows on its western facia. The ground floor also had an outcropping with its own door and side windows, although combined with the dark double doors on its southern facia Gai'vahros couldn't understand which one was the front door.

"Here we are, Gai'vahros," Twilight said with a smile on her face. She turned to her Elven friend as her eyes shifted from him to the farm. "So, what do you think? Pretty impressive, huh?"

"You could say that again," Gai'vahros responded with a little chuckle under his breath. "I mean it's not the biggest I've seen but it definitely is most impressive, even more so that she works here on her own, too."

"Oh, she doesn't work on her own, Gai'vahros. She has her family to help out, too." Twilight clarified Gai'vahros' misinterpretation of things before casually strolling through the archway.

"You don't mean to say that little Apple Bloom does hard labour, right?" Gai'vahros was concerned that a child or that age was put to hard labour, especially when it wasn't urgent as it was during the Amani Wars. The Blood Elf followed her through, though was a bit embarrassed when his ponytail brushed against the wooden sign, causing it to rattle.

"No, of course not! I mean she helps crush the berries into juice but that's about it. I mean she has her brother, Big Macintosh, and the rest of her family to help out."

"Ah, I understand," Gai'vahros looked around once again, something seemingly put him off. "It seems awfully quiet for a farm. So where is your friend, if I may ask?"

"I'm... not entirely sure," Twilight said, herself scanning the area with no signs of any work activity. "Applejack said she was going to be spending most of the afternoon harvesting her crops, but there's nothing here to say so. No tools are out, the plough is in the barn house... this doesn't make-"

"Now Apple Bloom, I told ya that yer not to go anywhere outside of Ponyville without Twi or anyone else with ya!" A rather powerful, booming voice erupted from the large house just tens of meters from the duo, with a very powerful accent, very similar to Apple Bloom.

"But Sis, I wasn't in any danger! Honest!" Gai'vahros recognized that as Apple Bloom's voice, seemingly distraught.

"Okay, now that makes sense." Twilight sighed as she couldn't help but keep eavesdropping on the lecture that Applejack was giving her little sister.

"Sounds as though she's giving her sister a bit of a seeing to, don't you agree my Lady Twilight?" Gai'vahros sighed as he couldn't do anything to help, standing beside his equine friend as he heard the back and forth sounds of raised voices. "The poor girl..."

"I guess when you have a younger sibling, you do all that you can to protect them, even if it means having to be a bit harsh."

"I know the feeling too well..."

"Oh, you have a younger sibling, Gai'vahros?" Twilight looked back at the Blood Knight, but she thought that she would see a smile and a look of reminiscence upon his fair face, but all she saw was a cold, dark abyss that dwelled within the depths of his eyes and expression. Cold. Dark. Empty. The Blood Elf did not respond to any word of hers, not even with a shift of his head or his body. It was like he stood still in a state of death to which not even time could traverse. Twilight could feel it all too well, like it was pouring into her own soul. But, thankfully, the tendrils of sorrow retracted in retreat as a third voice pierced the void.

"Oh, Twi! What're ya doin' here?" From the double doors of the large barn house-like structure stepped a pony of a peach colour, with long, tied platinum-blonde hair and shining, beautiful emerald green eyes, while her hair was covered by a pale brown cowboy hat to which the likes of has never been seen by the Elf before. Her flank showed for a brief moment as she turned to head towards the two of them, her cutie mark displaying three red apples formed in a triangle fashion.

"Applejack, I came by to see if Apple Bloom had gotten home safely," Twilight said with a soft smile upon her lips, although it turned somewhat sour, her eyes contort in the display of regret. "Although we, uh, kind of heard everything..."

"Oh! Oh... ah, sorry 'bout that," Applejack didn't seem annoyed by their admitting of eavesdropping, and even felt embarrassed herself. "But, y'know how it is. She shouldn't be wanderin' 'round the outside of the village by herself." Despite her words being directed towards her friend, her head and eyes would occasionally shift and jitter in the direction of the Elf. By the end of her word she had fully turned her attention to Gai'vahros, shifting her gaze from his body to his face. "So yer the hedgehog thang that Apple Bloom was talkin' 'bout?"

As her head turned towards his, his in turn gave attention to the pony. His expression changed, differed slightly from what it once was only moments ago. From emptiness came compassion, and from the void grew emotion. The Blood Knight reared back his left leg, and dropped it down to one knee. His back arched slightly, his head hung low, bowing to Applejack, of whom was confused while Twilight looked to him in awe. "Forgive me, my Lady Applejack. It was I whom your sister was threatened by. But I don't mean her or anyone else any harm, I wish only help to get me back to my own home."

"Pfft, y'all don't need any of that fancy-smancy stuff," Applejack said with a smirk on her lips, crossing her hooves over one-another and she looked down at the obviously benevolent Elf. "And I know from what Apple Bloom has said, about how a "shining golden hedgehog" needs our help. She may have a way with saying some bizarre things but I know she's honest. Well, most of the time. But in any case, she spoke very mighty of ya!"

"Thank you, my Lady Applejack." Gai'vahros said as he reared his head up, but the first thing he saw was not Applejack's face. Rather, several meters away through the ground floor window he spotted a young filly, the visibly upset face of Apple Bloom. Applejack seemed to have noticed too, as her head turned to the direction where Gai'vahros' gaze was fixated. "Please, may I speak to her?" Gai'vahros said, softly.

"Well, she's supposed to be grounded but..." Applejack looked at the Elf, but she couldn't understand why he was so determined. "Oh shucks, go right ahead. Not too long though, she's supposed to be grounded after all."

"Thank you." Gai'vahros replied to her permission, raising back to his feet and he began to head towards the barn house.

"Did you see it too, Applejack?" Twilight asked the peach equine, walking towards her as they both turned to watch the Elf proceed.

"Sure did," Applejack said calmly, although her head was still trying to make sense of it. "That guy seems to have strong feelings for Apple Bloom."

"When I tried to ask about his siblings, Gai'vahros just... froze. Like he kind of died inside. I guess he must miss his family more than anything else. Maybe he sees Apple Bloom like a younger sister?"

"Ya thank so, Twi?"

As the two turned to watch the Elf, Gai'vahros proceeded inside the barn house, looking around at the large expanse of the interior. The walls were equally as dark as the outside but in a more mahogany hue, with the supporting beams and rafters made of pure lumber. The floor was made of a very dense hardwood, more than likely oak. With each step Gai'vahros made an audible "tock" would ring though not loudly.

On the left side was a small door-shaped opening that lead into another room, this time the room was definitely more of that of a house. What seemed to be the main living room, there was a stairway off to the right side that lead to the second floor. In front of Gai'vahros, however, was a room coloured in a dull beige colour, clearly revealing the age of the structure in its lack of redecoration, while the flooring was a more softer kind of wood. A small table lay in the middle and a rocking chair that matched. The chair wasn't empty though, an old pony slept peacefully as she rocked backwards and forwards like she was cradled. Gai'vahros gave a small smile as he slowly and carefully trudged past.

Another door stood opposite him that lead into the kitchen, where the window that Gai'vahros saw Apple Bloom through was connected to. Kitchen units of beige and mahogany decorated the scenery for the Blood Elf, but he took notice of the yellow filly with the cherry hair sat at a wooden table next to the window. It seemed that the poor girl hasn't noticed the Blood Knight yet, with her head staring forwards in front of her, staring at nothing but a few cupboards, with her head resting on her forelegs which lay crossed on top of the table.

"Hello, Apple Bloom." Gai'vahros gave a soft greeting to the otherwise upset filly, to not startle her too much but also not to awaken the sleeping elderly pony in the next room. Apple Bloom's head shot up as she immediately recognized the very soft and sophisticated voice of the Blood Knight, reminding her almost of Rarity.

"Oh... Hey, Gai," Apple Bloom sounded happy at first, showing off a little smile in the presence of her Elven friend, but crept back into a depressing frown as she lay her head back down on her forelegs, looking straight ahead while her eyes shifted into Gai'vahros' direction. "I'm grounded, so... I shouldn't be talking to you."

"Not exactly," Gai'vahros said with a little grin, aiming to cheer up the young pony, even if a little. To an extent it succeeded; Apple Bloom's eyes were fully open as though his words caught her attention, her head once again raising to look at the Blood Knight. Gai walked around to the other side of the table and took a seat, although the chair was like that of a child's chair, made from what seemed like oak yet more sturdier, if such a thing was possible. "Your sister allowed me to talk to you."

"Oh. Well, whatchya wanna talk about? Am I still grounded?" She seemed like a lost little lamb, seeing Gai'vahros as her shepherd, looking to him for the answers.

"I've got no answers for that," Apple Bloom gave a sigh, not hearing the words that she was hoping for. "But Apple Bloom, you must understand why she did what she did, and will do so for a long while. Do you know why?"

"I know why, Gai. It's because she's a big sister, and that's what big sisters do!" Apple Bloom seemed more agitated, but the response only made Gai'vahros shake his head, which seemed to make Apple Bloom relax a little; she was always sure that there was more to it, but never knew what.

"Your sister does what she does to protect you, to make you learn, even if the methods are harsh," Gai'vahros' words came out rather forced, pressed upon a long drawn sigh and a reluctance to speak. From out of nowhere, Gai'vahros placed his own hands upon Apple Bloom's hooves, gripping them but not tightly, as though caressing a pair of hands. "You may not understand it because you've no little sister of your own, but Applejack's biggest fear of all is losing you."

"I understand," Apple Bloom seemed to feel empathy for how her sister feels whenever Apple Bloom is in possible danger. "But how comes you know so much about it, Gai? Do you have a little sister, too?"

"..." There seemed to be a long pause for what felt like moments yet was only a second or two. The Elf sat there, his hands upon Apple Bloom's forelegs, before suddenly shrinking back towards his body, his grasp loosened while the red silk of his gloves trailed along Apple Bloom's hooves and across the table. "I did..." Gai'vahros sat up, slowly, the oak chair sliding back across the laminated wood flooring with a gentle shift, but unlike before he never stopped smiling. He understood, just from talking with someone in a similar issue, that he had to be strong for them and not waste it on self pity. "I'm glad we had the time to talk, little Apple Bloom. Oh, I'll try and get Applejack to not punish you too badly." The Blood Elf gave a little wink before heading out through the side door.

"He "did"? I don't get it..."


	7. New Friends, Chapter 6

It was definitely a very satisfying experience for the veteran Blood Knight, to visit a new world that wasn't filled to the brim with seething hatred for others, brimming with conflict and total nonstop warfare. He was only just beginning to fathom that this world was so easy going, and that he was, perhaps for the first time in a very long time, meeting people, or rather ponies, that he could call "friend". He was definitely satisfied that this was not just another world of warcraft.

As the Blood Elf approached the two equine he realized that, while he was comforting the saddened filly inside, they had been watching him the whole time. Gai'vahros felt a bit uncomfortable as they gazed at him, not one of them giving off their usual splendid cheery smile. He felt that he was about to be reprimanded for something, although his mind couldn't begin to conjure a scenario to which he did something wrong. For a moment the only sounds that could be heard was the creaking of the lightly swinging barn house door and the flowing wind, but neither of them separate or combined could cut through the tension that Gai'vahros was feeling. He had to break it somehow.

"I think everything will be okay now," the Blood Knight reassured the two of them, a big smile on his face as he clapped his hands together, giving off a soft thump as the silk gloves patted together. "your little sister is a bit more understanding of her punishment. I hope, anyway."

"So what were ya talkin' 'bout?" Applejack questioned, she was awfully surprised that this creature was able to bring some sensibility to the otherwise rash and headstrong Apple Bloom. Surely the Elf had said something rather spectacular if he was able to "tame" the young filly.

"Oh, it wasn't an awful lot, my Lady Applejack," Gai'vahros replied in a soft tone, but he didn't mean to patronize the pony. "I just told her about your fear of losing her." The response seemed to garner a rapid reaction from Applejack, to the point where Gai'vahros could see it in her eyes that she was starting to imagine that dark reality.

"Y-yeah," Applejack began to stutter a little as she tried to keep her attention on the Blood Knight and not on the possibility of losing her little sister. "I guess I never thought of it that way before. Hurt, maybe, but never... y'know..."

"I understand fully, my Lady Applejack," the Blood Elf reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Whatever it was he was doing, Applejack felt so much solace in it, but it was only a gentle touch on her shoulder, nothing spectacular, and yet when he did so it felt as though a heavy burden was lifted from her back. "I think maybe you should be a little lenient of your punishment with Apple Bloom, don't you agree?"

"Hmmm... yeah, I guess you're right." Applejack was hesitant as first, but something about this Elf's presence made her feel more lightened up, as though just being with him felt securing. It was perhaps this quality that made Apple Bloom think so highly of the Blood Knight. Gai'vahros nodded in acknowledgement before taking his hand off the pony's shoulder.

The wind began to pick up a great deal though. A huge gust blasted through the Acre, crops swayed to one side past a forty five degree tilt, the branched in the trees began to swish around up and down, side to side, something even in circles, the large barn house doors began to swing on its hinges more so but not clashing into the structure itself, and finally the small wooden sign that was hanging by a couple of chains began to swoon back and forth like a swing. As the three of them looked up they all noticed a small flying object heading to them at a very fast speed, a speed to which the Blood Elf had not witnessed before, although he did recognize the shape as a flying horse. It was very peculiar to him, as he had not seen a pony with wings in this world yet, to which he began to postulate that perhaps there are some similarities with this world and Azeroth.

As sudden as it came, the pony stopped almost immediately in front of Twilight and Applejack. The pony was of a bright sky blue colour with sparkling amethyst eyes, a rainbow colour mane and tail, and large feathered wings on her back. The pony seemed to be slightly out of breath, as though she had been flying for hours at a time.

"Ah, Twilight," the pony started, exhaling hard as she huffed the name of her lavender friend. "I've been looking everywhere for you! I need you help with something!"

"Rainbow Dash, what's wrong?" Twilight tried her best to get a word in edge ways in between Rainbow Dash' frantic and heavy-breathed words. "You sound like you've seen trouble."

"Well, gee, that's because I HAVE seen trouble!" Twilight and Applejack reared back with open mouths in shock for a moment at Rainbow Dash' exclamation. "See, I was chillin' out in Cloudsdale, practicing my moves to show off to the Wonderbolts, then I notice this huge, odd shaped hole in the cloud! So I was hoping you had a book or something that could help us figure out what caused it."

"This sounds pretty serious," Gai'vahros said from the side, to which Rainbow Dash took a glance at the Elf. She was considerably cautious of the Elf for a moment. "If you wish, I can-"

"Hey… it's YOU!" Rainbow Dash' eyes took a turn from contemplation to one of hostility. "You're the one who made the hole in Cloudsdale!" with utmost intensity she through one of her forelegs forwards, pointing harshly at the Blood Knight who, to his credit, didn't know what she was accusing him of.

"What are you talking about?" Gai'vahros questioned her with a half smile and confused eyes, his facial expression showed a look of confusion. "I've no idea what this "Clouds Dale" is, and I sure as hell can't blow things up. I can't even place bombs at the right door."

"You can't lie to me, vandal; I recognize that stupid pointy mane anywhere, and those ridiculously large shoulder pads!"

"Hey, large shoulders are the fashion, and I certainly don't-" however, before Gai'vahros could finish his verbal reprimand of Rainbow Dash' insults he was suddenly struck with a fast and strong flying kick from the agitated pony, her hind leg ploughing straight into the Elf's abdomen, sending his flying back several meters onto his back before he slid to a sudden halt.

"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing!?" Twilight stepped forwards, a shocked look on her face. "Gai'vahros couldn't possibly have done it; he has no way to get there!"

"I know he did it, Twi," Rainbow Dash responded with determination to deliver justice to the Blood Knight. "The hole looks exactly like this guy! How else would I recognize him?"

"Ah… good shot," Gai'vahros struggled a bit, placing a hand on where the blue pony had kicked him. The gold plating wasn't damaged or dented and so much of the force was prevented from damaging his own body, although it still winded him for a moment. "but if fighting you is the only way to make you listen, then-" as he was about to finish his acceptance to her challenge, he reached the left side of his waist for his weapon, but realised that he hadn't any of his equipment with him. "Damn it. Well, I've no need for weapons to best you, horsey." Gai'vahros certainly noticed his opponent's rash nature, so taunting her to attack head on was an apt strategy.

"Whad'ya say to me!?" Rainbow Dash began to become flustered from being taunted by the Blood Elf, his eyes narrowing. "You ain't getting up after this one!" Rainbow Dash charged forwards with great speed, a foreleg stretched out to deliver a powerful blow.

"Kneel down." Gai'vahros wanted her to do exactly this, and quickly pushed his hand out, open, palm faced towards the rushing pony as suddenly she stopped in her tracks where she floating a foot or so off the ground, before suddenly dropping onto her flank. With his powers of the Light, Gai'vahros used his Hammer of Justice to stun the pony, keeping her from acting for a few moments.

"Ugh… H-hey, what's going-?" for a moment Rainbow Dash was dazed as the sudden concussive force caused her eyesight to dazzle for a moment.

"And repent." As holy energy began to surge through the outstretched arm of the Blood Knight and into his hand, he closed his fingers quickly into a fist before Rainbow Dash was struck by a surge of light, although not harmful by any means. The Blood Knight's Repentance spell caused the blue winged pony to enter a meditative state; her head dropped down slowly as her eyes closed.

"Gai, what in tarnation did ya do to Rainbow Dash!?" Applejack rushed over to her, looking across to her face. She sounded angry and yet concerned for her friend as well.

"Don't worry, I've only put her in a meditative sleep," Gai'vahros walked towards the sleeping pony, who was only a few meters away from him. "Though I'm rather confused. She recognized me because the shape of the whole is the shape of me? Surely I couldn't run through a wall without killing myself."

"Oh, Gai'vahros, Cloudsdale is… well, made out of clouds," Twilight corrected the Blood Elf as he began to wonder how he would run through a brick wall. "It's located a little bit outside of Ponyville, in the skies."

"Ah, I had a similar experience back in my world, within the realms of the Vortex Pinnacle and the Throne of Four Winds," Gai'vahros began to understand while reminiscing some of his recent activities. "Ah, good fun…"

"So Gai, you're sayin' that you didn't make no hole in Cloudsdale, and yet Rainbow Dash recognizes the hole was made by your body? You ain't lyin' to us, are ya?" Applejack was dubious about the situation; there was no way Rainbow Dash could have recognized him by any other means, but Gai'vahros seemed sincere about his denial.

"I honestly don't know what to tell you, my Lady Applejack," Gai'vahros said with a small shrug of his arms and shake of his head. He was just as confused as the rest of them. "If I decided to run head first through a city made of clouds, I'd remember something like that. However…"

"Do you have something in mind, Gai'vahros?" Twilight was more or less the middle person in this mystery. The pony had no reason to take sides or suspect anything, especially without seeing it for herself.

"I do, although…" Gai'vahros paused for a moment as he began to contemplate on his own scenario as to how he caused the hole. It was farfetched but he couldn't rule it out considering it was his only life line at this point. "I can't say unless I see what has happened myself. How far is Cloudsdale from here?"

"From the outskirt of Ponyville, about a few minutes, but you can't get there without wings. I can make us up a few potions to give us what we need to get there."

"Oh, no need to bother yourself in making me a potion, my Lady Twilight," Gai'vahros held out a hand in a gesture of consideration. "I'll be able to get there myself. You just need to give me a few directions."

"But, Gai'vahros, you don't have any wings, and all of your equipment is still missing." Twilight was baffled as to what Gai'vahros was harping at, not noticing anything on him that would suggest he could fly.

"Heh, I'd almost forgotten about that, but watch." The Blood Knight placed his hands together as though beginning a prayer, and with a sudden wave of his arms to the side four bright, luminescent wings entirely of light formed in his back, behind his cape. Almost reminiscent of a butterfly, the top wings were a bit larger than the bottom ones, which pointed downwards as opposed to the former pointing upwards. All four wings gave a slight flap forwards, flicking forwards what was like gold dust before remaining stationary, pulsating a radiance of light every second.

"Well I'll be," Applejack was the first to speak, astounded by the power of the Elf and the beauty of his light-touched wings. "you're just full of surprises, ain't ya?"

"Hah, I'll say," Twilight couldn't help but agree with her farmer friend. "but… shall we leave Rainbow Dash here?"

"Oh no, of course not," Gai'vahros gave a small chuckle before turning to the sleeping blue winged pony. As he approached her his wings began to fade, dissipate into glittery shards of light. "I think she's ready to snap out of it." The Elf stretched out his hand and, with his index finger, prodded Rainbow Dash' forehead, watching as it rocked back and the forwards.

"Uh… ah…" Rainbow Dash sounded considerably groggy although that was just the usual effects of being hit by a Repentance spell. Her eyes slowly opened, her vision blurry for a small duration before the Blood Knight's smiling face came into focus. "W-what happened? What did you do to me?" Rainbow Dash was much calmer than before as she began to speak to the Blood Elf, although that was mainly because she felt a bit dizzy.

"Well, you needed to cool down for a little," Gai'vahros said with a slight chuckle in his voice. "but, we're going to go to this Cloudsdale place and try and figure out what caused the hole and, if it was me, how the hell I managed to do it."

"Pfft, sounds like another excuse to go and make more holes!" Rainbow Dash couldn't help but still feel inclined to suspect this person of malicious intentions, although she began to understand that, if Twilight and Applejack were going along as well, he wouldn't get away with it. "Well, fine then. But I'm coming with you too!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way, my Lady Rainbow Dash," Gai'vahros said, walking away and towards Twilight and Applejack. Rainbow Dash grumbled as she blushed a little, not being called a "lady" before, or at least very rarely. "So, my Lady Twilight, shall we get back to your place and start preparations?"

"Sure thing, Gai'vahros," Twilight nodded in agreement, turning back towards the fence, with the others following suit. "By the way, what are you missing from your belongings? You said all of your equipment went missing, right?"

"Yeah that's right," Gai'vahros responded, trying to recall what was in his bags. "Well there's two swords, a shield, my hearthstone, my jeweller's kit, a pickaxe, my surveying equipment, my cooking supplies, my fishing rod, my pet stone, and my mount stone."

"Dude, you carry all of that stuff with you like, all the time?" Rainbow Dash was surprised that he could carry so much stuff in one bag. "Doesn't that tire you out?"

"I don't understand," Gai'vahros turned his head back to the pegasus. "that's not an awful lot. I usually carry a second change of clothes too, as well as some other things. I usually carry a few tens of stuff."

"That's a LOT of things," Rainbow Dash couldn't help but feel some sort of admiration for the Blood Knight, but she wasn't about to admit it. "but you said you were missing a few stones, right? I picked up a couple at the scene where the hole was, but I left them back at my place in Cloudsdale."

"Oh, really?" Gai'vahros had a rather large smile on his face that some of his equipment was beginning to show up sooner rather than later. "If I could have them back, my Lady Rainbow Dash, I'd be most grateful."

"Chyeah, when we get the hole patched up first," Rainbow Dash huffed, with a blush on her face again as well as an irate expression. "And don't call me "Lady"!"


	8. New Friends, Chapter 7

The spring sun began to dawn down into the horizon ahead, transcending the light orange sky into a more violet colour, contrasting as the glare from the bright orange overlapped the cool backdrop of violet clouds. From Gai'vahros' experiences n Quel'Thalas, where the sun seemed to shine the most, it was around six o'clock. It had been a very long time since the Blood Knight had seen such a scenery. Proud, majestic in its presence, it made him feel calm as though his burdens were being whisked away along with the sun. It reminded him of the scenery he saw after he had reclaimed the Sunwell; the end of, perhaps, Azeroth's greatest threat, and the start of a new day.

The group had made their way back to the tree house library where Twilight had resided. The five of them, Spike included as he was tidying up the ground floor, sat around while Twilight was beginning to create the potions upon a nearby desk close to the far side window. The desk contained a multitude of alchemical equipment that Gai'vahros had recognized from seeing many apothecaries experimenting in the ways of potion-making. Tube racks, glass vials, bottles, distillers and other pieces of fragile tools lined the desk almost in a straight line, but the Blood Elf couldn't take his eyes off it.

"So what are ya doing here, anyway," Rainbow Dash started as she had her forelegs crossed, floating a few feet off the ground while she kept a close eye on the Blood Elf, although she wasn't as fixated in aggression like before. She still felt cautious around the Elf, though she wasn't showing her ferocity like before. "you come here for a vacation or something?"

"Hah, I wish," Gai'vahros replied with a humoured tone of voice, shaking his head as he leaned forwards on his chair, turning his attention to the blue pegasus. "but to be honest, I don't even know how I got here. I was meant to be taking a portal to the Isle of Quel'Danas, an Elven outpost north of our city, but something went wrong and the portal sent me… well, here. I ended up just south of this village with nothing on me save the clothes on my back."

"So someone sent you through a portal and you ended up here? On your own?" Rainbow Dash seemed puzzled by the Blood Elf's story, as though it didn't add up.

"Well it wasn't done on purpose," the Blood Knight responded quickly to save the pegasus the hassle of attempting to figure out something that wasn't there. "something weird happened before I was sent through the portal, some sort of… magical arcane disturbance, or whatever. I assume that whatever this disturbance was affected the portal's working and, evidently, sent me to the wrong destination. Some sort of bug, perhaps. I'm sure they're patching it up as we speak."

"Sounds mighty dangerous for ya to be using fancy magical stuff right after experiencin' some sorta turbulence," Applejack approached the conversation with concerning words for the Blood Knight. "Heck, you coulda been ported to some sorta… demon infested world or somethin'!"

"Yeah, thanks for the words of encouragement," Gai'vahros huffed with a smile on his face, hanging his head down for a bit as he began to contemplate being at the heart of the Legion, tearing through its ranks with sword in hand and faith in his soul. "but I've been through worse. As a Champion of the Light, it's my duty to face opposition with a stalwart heart."

"So you're like a knight or something, Gai?" Rainbow Dash seemed to be more accustomed to the Elf the more he spoke to the point that even she was starting to doubt that he created the hole. At least, not intentionally. "you don't mind me calling you Gai, right?"

"Hah, not at all. And yes, I'm a knight of sorts. I'm part of the Blood Knight Legion of the Silvermoon army."

"And, what do you "Blood Knights" do, exactly?"

"Well we… uh…" Gai'vahros paused for a moment. He wanted to say something, to share his eccentric knowledge of the Blood Knight's history, but he couldn't think of anything good to say, or even what to mention in their recent activities or achievements. "Well, we defend Silvermoon City along with the Royal Guards, although our recent activities have been fighting our enemies on the newly discovered continent of Pandaria. We serve as the backbone of our army, so to speak."

"That… sounds so COOL!" the blue pegasus was completely overtaken by desire for the Blood Knight that all sense of distaste of him just vanished. "Do you think you could show me some of your cool moves and like, teach me how to be a knight?"

"Haha, don't you remember?" Gai'vahros said with a small chuckle as he reclined back on the chair. "I already showed you some of my moves earlier." He was obviously trying to get a reaction out of the brash pegasus.

"Hey, you know that's not what I meant!" Rainbow Dash' eyes turned sour as she folded her forelegs across her chest again. "C'mon Twilight, how much longer are ya gonna be with those potions?" It was apparent that Rainbow Dash was hiding her lack of patience with the Blood Knight by acting impatient towards Twilight's preparations.

"There, they're ready," Twilight said softly, seemingly exhausted from the ordeal. "sorry I took so long, guys; I was trying to recall the recipe from memory. I'm quite sure I've got the mixture correct."

"Now hold on a sec," Applejack was dubious, with good reason as well, as to whether or not to drink some of that potion. "so you're sayin' that this might not even work?"

"Of course it'll work," Twilight responded, her magic from her horn was causing two sealed bottles to float from her desk, one of them drifting towards Applejack before hovering several inches from her. "just… you know, there might be some side effects."

"Oh, like what," Gai'vahros opted to join in on the conversation. "blue warts? Hair loss? Pinkeye? Hoof blisters?" Gai'vahros didn't mean anything serious by his words, but felt like teasing Applejack with discouraging ailments.

"Well, possibly," Twilight responded, causing the Blood Knight to deliver a gaunt expression on his face as his cheery smile dropped. "but the effects won't be too severe. Or too long. I hope."

"You know, I was joking when I said all of those things." Gai'vahros sighed as he placed his hands on his knees before leaning forwards, pushing himself off the chair to a standing position. As he stood he looked over at the small alchemy lab for a brief moment before turning back to Twilight. "That's a point; why are you trying to recall it to memory? Don't you have a book to read it from?"

"Well, I did," Twilight muttered, rolling her eyes before glaring at her little dragon helper who was busy putting a stack of books back on one of the far book shelves. "but _someone_ managed to spill ice cream on the pages, which ended up sticking several pages together. One of those pages being the recipe for this potion."

"Hey, I couldn't help it," Spike began in his defence, stopping his chores as he turned to his friend. "you made me jumped when you screamed because you accidentally left your quill in the ink well!"

"Well there's no point in arguing over it," Gai'vahros said before this discussion could heat up any more than it already had. "what's done is done, no amount of words will unstick those pages. Oh, that's a point," The Blood Knight turned and proceeded to the handbag that Twilight was carrying while they were out, seeing it hanging around the top of the newel of the staircase. Reaching inside, he pulled out a wrapped-up cupcake and the two gems that Rarity had given them, one emerald and one sapphire, before handing them to Spike. "There you go, Spike. These are from Lady Rarity."

"What? R-Rarity said these are for me?" Spike seemed flustered for a moment, a small blush of red forming in his little purple cheeks.

"Well, the gems are from Rarity. The cupcake was for me but, I thought maybe you'd want it more." Gai'vahros gave a warm smile as he looked down at the visibly overjoyed little dragon, who held his presents close to him like a child on Winter's Veil day.

"W-wow, thank Gai," Spike replied, his little face sprawled with a huge grin as he looked back up to the Blood Elf. "you're awesome! I gotta go say thanks to Rarity!" Spike turned to one of the nearby desks as he went over and placed his presents upon the oaken surface. "Don't eat my stuff while I'm gone!" Without much time to say goodbye, Spike rushed out of the door, slamming it behind him.

"W-wait, Spike!" Twilight yelled, trying to call after the overjoyed dragon, though her cries fell on deaf ears. "He still hasn't finished putting the books back." the lavender pony gave a sigh as she turned to look at the two piles of books stacked on the floor.

"Aw shucks, Twilight," Applejack intervened in a soft tone of voice. "leave the lil guy to do his thing. I've not seen Spike so choked up in a long while. And hey, me, Gai and Rainbow Dash can help ya with yer books, right?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Rainbow Dash joined in as she flew over to the piles of books. "We'll have this done in ten seconds flat!"

"Don't worry about it," Gai'vahros reassured the ponies as he took a handful of books, carrying them upon one arm. "I'll put these away for you. Alphabetically, right?" the Elf turned to the nearby bookshelves, thankfully they were all labelled from A to Z on the front of the shelves. Picking one up from the stack he was holding, he looked at the front cover; 'Manual of Monsters' the title was, a red book, hardback, that had a laminated finish upon it. The Blood Knight thought it might come in handy or prove to be an interesting read while he was here, so he made a mental note of it before placing it on the shelf where it belonged.

"Gai'vahros, you don't have to do everything, you know," Twilight said, watching as the Blood Elf was at work filling empty spaces on the shelves. "with the amount of things that's happened today, don't you think you should slow down?"

"Haha, this is only light handiwork compared to what I do on a daily basis," Gai'vahros replied as he kept reading the titles of books before placing them. 'Dungeonmaster's Guide', 'Potions 101', 'Harmony', 'A Game at Dinner'; the Blood Elf wasn't one for reading although he was definitely intrigued by this equine literature. He had decided that he'd have to try and dedicate some of his time to reading some of these books. "and besides, I have to repay all of you for the hospitality you've shown me. This is the very least I can do for you."

"I'm very grateful for the help you've given us, Gai'vahros, but you've had a long day. Perhaps we should call it a day after we've investigated Cloudsdale." As Twilight spoke she released her magical grip upon the bottle in front of Applejack, letting it drop into the farmer's grasp between two hooves. "Come on, Applejack, we'd better get this over and done with before it gets too dark."

"Well… alright Twi, I trust ya." Applejack said in reluctance although it wasn't as bad as before. Removing the cork with her teeth, Applejack tipped the bottle and downed the potion in a few second, with Twilight following suit. After drinking the concoction both ponies stood for a moment, waiting for the effect to occur. The two paused before speaking, trying to focus on feeling any changes to their body. But nothing occurred. "You sure ya got the recipe right, Twi?"

"I don't understand, the effect should be-" before Twilight could finish her explanation the two of them suddenly sprouted a pair of rather large wings on their sides. Twilight had a pair of feathered bird-like wings, similar to Rainbow Dash, in the same lavender colour as her fur, while Applejack manifested a set of wings not unlike that of an Atlas Moth, although the coloration was more in line of Applejack's natural coat. "-instantaneous. Oh, there we go. Now remember, this potion only lasts for one day."

"So Twi, what's wrong with using that spell from before?" Applejack raised a valid point. From what she could recall from past experience, Twilight had used a spell version of this effect on Rarity, though this time it was in the form of a potion. "I was gonna say somethin' before but that was before knowing that I could probably get pony pox from this stuff."

"Well, as I said before, the spell is considerably difficult to perform that I could only do it once a day," Twilight recapped for the earth pony, who was flapping her wings softly to get a feel of it. "so I bought a new potions book which had a recipe for the spell in potion form. It's not as taxing to do, and I can make as many as I have ingredients for it. Much more practical and economical."

"Yeah, and I feel sorry for the poor sap who had to go farm those materials," Gai'vahros joked as he finished putting the last book on the shelf. It didn't take as long as he thought considering he had two stacks of books to put back, around thirty books in total. "but seeing as we're now all sorted and everyone has their wings and such, shall we make a move?"

"Actually I thought maybe me and Applejack could take the time to get used to these wings." Twilight responded casually, despite saying earlier that they'd best hurry before nightfall. The unicorn looked at both wings, flapped each one individually, and then began to flap them both at the same time. Slowly she ascended from the floor by an inch, then two, then ten, before stopping at around a foot and a half off the ground. "Oh… this feels a bit… weird. How are you feeling, Applejack?"

"I'm feeling a little queasy…" Applejack voiced her discomfort as she had already reached the same height as Twilight, and then higher. The earth pony was around three feet off the ground, matching Rainbow Dash' height, whom couldn't help but snicker.

"Haha, you not enjoying the view, Applejack?" Rainbow Dash teased the nauseated pony, who had a sickly look on her face.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Gai'vahros tried to comfort her as he watched her float off the ground, grabbing one of her hind legs and pulling her down a foot or so. "It feels awkward at first, spending all your life on the ground then suddenly end up in the air. I was the same too, but it all stems from confidence in not plummeting to the ground. As soon as you have confidence in your control of flight, it'll become second nature to you."

"Y-yeah… so, uh, shall we get going?" Applejack seemed more comforted although it was just a pretence in confidence.

"Not until you're happy with your new position," Gai'vahros responded, grabbing Applejack by her foreleg and walking her to the door, opening it. "we have to make sure you're confident in your flying. Start off slow, start down low, and get higher and faster when you feel you've got the knack for it. Don't worry, I'll tag along with you while you practice. In fact, why don't we all spend an hour or so practicing?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Twilight admitted as she fluttered through the doorway into the outdoors, ascending to several feet in the air. "we'd better get used to the altitude that Cloudsdale is accustomed to."

"Yeah, we'd better make sure Applejack can handle something that isn't just three feet off the ground." Rainbow Dash again joshing around with Applejack.

"That's not funny, Rainbow… urp… Dash…"

"Ah, don't worry Applejack," Gai'vahros assured the earth pony, who was starting to look rather pale. "If she keeps going, I'll put another hole in Cloudsdale. Purposefully this time."


	9. New Friends, Chapter 8

The wind through his hair, the chill of the dusk sky upon his cheeks, and the enjoyment that he was feeling within his heart accompanying new friends as he blitzed, looped and spiralled through the air, Gai'vahros couldn't help but laugh in gaiety whilst he was dancing upon unseen currents with a few winged equine. Within the hour, Applejack seemed to have gotten over her fear of flying by gaining confidence and control of her newfound wings, while Twilight was still experimenting in how she could perform under certain aerodynamics, altitudes and other scientific variables that no one else seemed to be caring about. Rainbow Dash and Gai'vahros were both showing off their moves and speeds, though the rainbow pegasus was without much doubt outdoing the bedazzled Blood Elf. Regardless, it was definitely time to head over to Cloudsdale.

Rainbow Dash lead the brigade as she guided them, slowly, to Cloudsdale. Despite Twilight knowing the direction by heart due to past visits she was still hanging back with Applejack, as was Gai'vahros, to make sure the earth pony didn't encounter any problems on the way there. The Blood Elf was fairly aware of the duration of potions and, considering that this perhaps wasn't the most stable of benefits, remained under Applejack to be ready to catch her if the wings ever dissipated prematurely.

The cloud city was a sight to behold for the Blood Elf. He had not seen such architecture before, though he had never seen a city made almost entirely of clouds before either. The design of its surroundings were not familiar to the Blood Elf, with columns fashioned in a 'post and lintel' style, where the columns were thick, long, with grooves along their length, supported by flat surfaces that helped spread the load it was keeping up, the sides of these lintels carved in curved, ornate patterns. It was a marvel to behold in the eyes of the Blood Knight, to which he wished something like this existed on Azeroth. It made him think of Kaldorei architecture but much more refine.

"Well, here we are guys," Rainbow Dash exclaimed, swooping down before landing upon a bed of clouds as though she was walking on solid ground. "Gai's hole isn't too far from here." The Pegasus casually walked through the halls of columns that flanked both sides of what looked like a runway, possibly used as a designated entrance into the city.

"Yeah, I would appreciate if you didn't use that term as though it was to label me a vandal." Gai'vahros resented the comment from the rainbow pegasus, making sure that Twilight and Applejack had a safe landing, so to speak. "You feeling better now, my Lady Applejack?" Gai'vahros was concerned for the earth pony, staying by her side as she landed.

"Ah, yeah," Applejack responded although her face was still showing signs of uneasiness, though this was more than likely because she was now walking on clouds, which to her felt like walking across a bouncy castle, with the possibility of falling through. "but walkin' on clouds feels like chasin' a hog through a field of marshmallows."

"Right, though I've no idea where you'd find a field of marshmallows though." Gai'vahros responded with a confused look on his face, although he acquitted it to just being one of Applejack's rather exotic figures of speech. As Gai'vahros set foot on the cloud though, he felt his feet sink a few inches into it, almost falling through, but stopping suddenly. No matter how much he tried to lift his legs, they were stuck almost firmly in place with only slight room for movement. "Uh, a little help, please?"

"Huh? Well that's odd," Twilight turned to the Elf's distress, although she looked on was a somewhat puzzled yet intrigued face. "I've never heard of something being stuck in a cloud before. Ah, if only I had my things with me I could have made a note of this!"

"Yeah that's all rainbows and sunshine, my Lady Twilight, but do you think you could commit it to memory for later and, I don't know, get me out of this?" Gai'vahros was just as puzzled as her; he had never been stuck in a cloud before, even when going to the Vortex Pinnacle.

"Don't worry Gai, we'll give ya a hand," Applejack trotted up to the Elf and took a hold of one arm and lifting into the air a few feet off the ground. "Come on Dash, give us a hoof over here!"

"Ugh, fine," Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at seeing Gai'vahros stuck in what was essentially airborne fluff. She quickly flew over to the opposite side of Gai'vahros and took a hold of the other arm, also flying a few feet of the ground. "Okay AJ, on the count of three, pull him upwards." Applejack nodded in understanding, holding tight onto the Elf.

"One. Two. Three!"

With a sudden *pop*, Gai'vahros was pulled out of the cloud as Applejack and Rainbow Dash quickly and forcefully pulled upwards with their forelegs while also flying several inches higher for more elevation. The Blood Elf gave a brief sigh of relief and he continued to use his wings to provide mobility as soon as Rainbow Dash and Applejack let go of him.

"Well, that wasn't expected," the Blood Elf muttered while floating a few inches off the ground, or clouds, reluctant to land again in case he was to be stuck again. "I guess I'll have to stay afloat while I'm here. Uh, please, continue, my Lady Rainbow Dash."

"You need to get out of that habit, bro." Rainbow Dash sighed in disapproval of the Blood Elf still using that title for her. The pegasus continued to lead the troupe through the halls before coming to a large, open expanse that was all buildings, likely residential, with a large fountain in the middle of the circular district, several meters high and spouting water from several founts around a central tower. "It's just over here." Rainbow Dash lead them through the district, following a linear path that lead to a crossroad, with its corners housing a line of commercial shops. However, as the pegasus looked around the corner she paused and pressed everyone back against the wall of a large cloud structure, with Gai'vahros sinking into it.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Gai'vahros tried not to yell too loud as he struggled to try and get free of the crevice he found himself in, flailing his arms forwards, though Twilight and Applejack quickly pulled him free, trying not to snicker at his expense. "What's going on? Why did you stop us?"

"Just look over there," Rainbow Dash whispered to the three of them, waving her hoof behind her as if to point over her shoulder. The group lightly peaked around the corner, to which they saw a group of pegasi stallions wearing guard armor, a sky blue in colour to signify their association with Cloudsdale, looking over at the hole while some of them were using some sort of foreign equipment that were presumably used to analyse it. "We ain't gonna be able to inspect the hole while they're there, and as soon as they see Gai he's gonna be arrested!"

"That's not a problem at all," Gai'vahros said in a cheery voice, starting to float around the corner. "I'll just explain it was an accident and-" though before he could finish what he was saying or even get too far from the group, Rainbow Dash grasped at his cloak with her teeth and whipped him back around the corner, planting him into the wall again. "Oh for the Light's sake!"

"What are you thinking Gai," Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she stared at the stuck Blood Knight. "what're you gonna say to them? "Oh hi there, I'm sorry I caused a huge gaping HOLE in your CITY, can I get a slap on the hoof"? 'cause that'll _totally_ work, right?"

"… Well when you put it like that, probably not," Gai'vahros agreed after thinking about the scenario playing through his mind. Even he couldn't deny that it was going to go over well. "so how are we going to get over there?"

"Hmmm," the three ponies began a collective hum as they started thinking of a way to circumvent the guards to get to the hole, or to get rid of them entirely. "Well, how about luring them away," Applejack responded first, a light bulb flicking inside her mind. "someone could grab their attention and make a distraction, right?"

"Sounds like a great idea, Applejack," Twilight agreed, although she didn't condone hassling authority where it could be helped, but at this point in time it couldn't. "Rainbow Dash, do you think you could provide a distraction? Seeing as it's your home turf you might be able to find a way better than the rest of us."

"Hah, leave it to me, Twilight," Rainbow Dash grinned as she gave her approval, seemingly very enthusiastic about it. "I've got a great idea!" The pegasus took off around the corner as she aimed to set her plan into motion.

"Great, now can you get me off this damn wall!?" Gai'vahros said impatiently as Twilight and Applejack turned to him, smiling embarrassingly before helping prying the Elf from the cloud.

As the Elf and the two ponies watched from behind the corner the blue pegasus made her way over to the guards, but realised she needed to look more frantic in her approach, With a great burst of speed she zoomed to the guards before stopping, her breath heavy while the look on her face came off as shocked or worried. "Guards! Guards!" Rainbow Dash called out, floating off the ground as her wings flapped frantically.

"What is it, citizen?" three of the guards turned, while the middle stallion spoke up with a soft but powerful voice, his eyes stern as he gazed at Rainbow Dash.

"I… I saw who made this hole! He, he ran over there, through the rainbow factory," Rainbow Dash pointed with her right foreleg towards one of the crossings that lead to a huge structure. "He said he was gonna destroy the factory so no more rainbows could be made! You gotta stop him!"

"What!?" The guards cried out together, the group of them taking off the ground quickly. "Thank you for the assistance, ma'am. We'll catch this criminal post haste!" Without missing a heartbeat the whole group of them took off, though not without one of the guards putting down a bright yellow safety hazard sign first.

As soon as the guards were out of sight, Rainbow Dash turned back to where the other three were, waving her hoof to beckon them to approach. "The coast is clear, guys." the pegasus called for them before turning back to the hole. Twilight, Applejack and Gai'vahros quickly made their way to the site, gathering around it, with Twilight leaning forwards to get a good look. "So Twilight, what can ya make out of this hole?"

"Well first, you didn't tell me it was in the _floor_ of Cloudsdale," Twilight spoke up a bit discontent with Rainbow Dash' clarification, to whom only smiled awkwardly. "and the angle of the cross section of the hole in the clouds isn't straight, as in a perfect outline of Gai'vahros' body."

"So uh, in lament's terms, sugar cube?" Applejack questioned Twilight as she gawked at her confused.

"Well think about it," Twilight started, pointing to the cross section of the cloud where the Blood Elf went through. "If Gai'vahros fell through the straight through, the angle of the cut through of the cloud would be straight. Basically, Gai'vahros fell through Cloudsdale at an angle, which would explain how he ended up on the other side of Ponyville and not directly under here."

"Okay, that makes a bit more sense," Applejack nodded as she followed Twilight's trail of thinking. "so what's this 'bout this hole being a perfect cut out of Gai, then?"

"It's quickly simple, actually," Twilight said with a smile on her face but not trying to be too smug nor patronising in her tone. "you see, when something flies through the air the entire body becomes straight, horizontal, as the force from the wind pushes the body back until it becomes aerodynamic. So, if Gai'vahros did fly through this hole, he would have flown through head first, thus completely changing the shape of the hole."

"I thought as much," Gai'vahros spoke up as he looked at the hole, sighing softly. "I only remember going through the portal and then waking up on the ground. From what I can piece together, the portal must have relocated me in the air, somewhere above here. Whilst unconscious, my body plummeted to the ground, through Cloudsdale at a slanted trajectory, before hitting the ground just outside of Ponyville. But then that raises an even bigger question; how in the world did I survive a fifteen thousand foot freefall with no injuries?"

"Unfortunately, we don't have an ace attorney to work out that contradiction," Twilight shook her head, not having an answer to what was a glaring thorn in the side of hers and Gai'vahros' theory. "but I also noticed some sort of static electricity resonating from the hole. Maybe this force slowed your fall to the ground by some sort of force field of static?"

"Well whatever it is, without it I'd be a nice splat in the meadow," Gai'vahros stated with a huff, crossing his arms. "but anyway, can't we repair this hole and make it good as new?"

"But that's just it," Rainbow Dash started as she looked through the hole. "Clouds reform themselves after just a few hours, the same for Cloudsdale. But _something_ is stopping it from fixing itself." Rainbow Dash pulled her head back through the hole, but ended up with a large spiky mane to which she didn't notice, though Applejack and Gai'vahros couldn't help but giggle at the pegasus' predicament.

"I would assume it's from the static," Twilight went on to say, using a single hoof to run around the edge of the hole, inducing a tingling sensation into her leg. "simply put, it seems that whatever Gai'vahros did when he flew - or fell - through the hole, has caused the cloud to become charged by the same charge of static, or at least this hole. The charges seem to be of the same polarity, causing the edges of the hole to repel each other, like two magnets, and thus not close properly."

"… did you get any of that, Gai?" Applejack's eyes shifted to the Blood Elf, who was equally jaw-dropped with Twilight's explanation.

"I had her all the way up to "simply put"," Gai'vahros hadn't a clue about what static, or polarities, or even how magnets worked, and so was simply bombarded with explanations that almost made his ears stop working. "so basically, I made it so this hole can't close?"

"Well, uh… yeah," Twilight was a bit dubious in putting it bluntly. "but the effects aren't permanent. Once the cloud runs out of this charge, it'll close up again. But that could take a day or so." Twilight looked up and noticed a crackling sound coming from in front of her. "Hey, can you guys hear that sound?"

"Yeah, I noticed it a moment ago," Rainbow Dash turned her head as she tried to track the sound, her head getting close to the hole. "I thought maybe it was the weather factory but it sounds too crisp to be far away."

"I here ya, Dashie." Applejack agreed, her head hanging low, first listening at the hole, but almost in unison all three ponies turned to Gai'vahros' feet before realising that the crackling sound was coming from his metal boots.

"Gai'vahros, it's _you _making that noise," Twilight looked up at the Elf before looking back down to his boots, noticing that his feet were only a few inches from the cloud. "just as I suspected. The metal armor you're wearing is causing static between it and the cloud, causing the cloud to magnetise! That would explain why you kept getting stuck!"

"That makes sense," Gai'vahros nodded in acknowledgement. "So I assume that the hole has been "magnetised" by my armor when I fell through it?" The Blood Elf was still clueless about all of these fancy words but he was starting to understand, slowly.

"Exactly," Twilight assured him, but paused for a moment. "but that's odd. Clouds are only made of water vapour, and any static is discharged as lightning; it's impossible for a cloud to become magnetised. Also, your armor didn't become magnetised… strange."

"I'm sure we can talk about it until daybreak," Gai'vahros spoke before Twilight could continue voicing her theories. "but can we return to Ponyville? I'm exhausted." The Blood Elf stretched his arms wide, but one of his hands ended up going through a lamp post of cloud, causing his hand to get stuck. "Damn it!"

"Hahaha, you need a "hand", Gai?" Rainbow Dash teased the Blood Knight, laughing hysterically along with Applejack and Twilight as they watched the Blood Elf try to get his hand free.

"Yeah yeah, good one." Gai'vahros huffed as he watched in irritation as the three ponies found his misfortune humorous. "I can see why so many people disliked the Throne of Four Winds…"


	10. New Friends, Chapter 9

Darkened upon starry skies as a canvas of indigo stretched upon the world, the sun had finally set in the distance as night time dawned upon Ponyville. Far off upon the blackened horizon a object that looked like a chariot passed from east to west, pulled by several pegasi as they heaved the object across the yonder. Silence was all that remained of the pony folk who returned to their homes, with only the sounds of the night owls and the chirps of crickets in the flora within the outskirts of the village.

However, all lights were out except within the Golden Oak Library. Within the hollowed out old tree were Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Spike and Gai'vahros. The lavender Twilight was stood over the tree trunk table in the middle of the room, making sure all of her equipment were cleaned from the alchemy earlier, while Applejack and Spike were cleaning up the books that Twilight was looking over earlier after they had returned from their trip, finally Gai'vahros and Rainbow Dash were sat over at a table near the left side of the doorway, with the Blood Elf sharing his stories.

"Then suddenly, me and the rogue sprinted through the Dead Scar, avoiding all of the undead as they swung their sickly, bony arms and swinging their blackened, corroded swords," Gai'vahros was trying to tell this story like an action adventure, but Rainbow Dash was hearing it like a horror story, what with the mention of undead. "while this huge, decrepit, rotting abomination ran at us, a hatched in one hand, a chained hook in the other, and a sickle in its third hand attached to its shoulder, yelling "LUZRAN CRUSH YOU!" Then as we got into the open, I turned and pounded him into the ground while the rogue was dancing around behind it, stabbing until he dropped into a huge pile of meat!"

"U-uh… t-that's cool, Gai," Rainbow Dash was almost on the edge of her seat, a bead of sweat dropped from her forehead down her cheek. "S-so is that, y'know, the end of it?" the blue pegasus was getting nervous as Gai'vahros' flailing arms and twisted facial expression as he re-enacted the scenes enforced only the horror atmosphere of his tale.

"Oh of course not, we've still got the other two acts to go through, yet." Gai'vahros gave a smile, oblivious to the fact that Rainbow Dash was getting uncomfortable hearing about risen creatures and skeletons and zombies and such, although the pegasus was far to prideful to admit it. She let out a soft, barely audible squeak as she realised that she had to sit through another half hour of Gai'vahros' grim storytelling.

"C'mon now Gai, don't be spoilin' plots without the rest of us," Applejack intervened, suggesting that the Elf should tell his stories when everyone is gathered. With her pausing the Blood Elf Rainbow Dash sighed in relief with her friend getting him to hold his tongue. "why don'tchya wait 'til tomorrow an' we can go camping or somethin'?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Twilight joined in with encouraging words while she began lifting her alchemy equipment and other tools with her magic, storing them into a nearby cupboard that sat under a book shelf. "tomorrow we can go meet Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, then you guys can all go camping."

" "You guys"?" Gai'vahros repeated, turning to the unicorn who was now examining two gems on a desk near the right side of the door, opposite from Rainbow Dash and the Elf. "You aren't coming with us, my Lady Twilight?"

"Well someone has to look after the library," Twilight replied, her eyes fixated upon the gems. "and I don't really want to keep Spike here on his own overnight."

"Oh you worry too much, Twilight," Rainbow Dash spoke up. "you're always workin' and keeping your head in your books. You and Spike can come with us, and stop worrying about looking after the place."

"Sure 'nuff, sugar cube, you barely ever get any time to yaself," Applejack responded in kind to Twilight's excuses, finally finishing helping Spike with re-shelving the books. "the fresh air will do the both of ya a world of good."

"Come on, Twilight," Spike pleaded, his hands together and giving her the puppy dog eyes. "we rarely ever get to hang out all together! And I wanna hear more of Gai's awesome butt-kicking stories!"

"Ah, okay, okay," it seemed that with everyone's approval and Spike's cute little face, Twilight caved in with their requests, giving a soft sigh mixed with a small giggle, though she turned back to the two stones that sat upon her table. "but I really want to study these two stones first. I just can't believe that nothing in any of my spell books have anything in relation to space travel, besides the teleportation spell. I've just… never seen anything like this before."

"It's not something that can easily be explained, my Lady Twilight," Gai'vahros stood and made his way over to the table. Both of the stones were in fact Gai's possessions, the Pet Stone and Mount Stone which Rainbow Dash had gotten from her house before leaving Cloudsdale. the Pet Stone was made of a glistening amber round cut, swirling with oranges and purples like the dawning sun as its arcane magics danced and dazzled inside, while the Mount Stone was of a more intricate oval cut, dark cobalt blue in colour that shined a more royal hue as light reflected off it, with indigo and violets swirling and spinning inside. "the magi who dabble in these arcane arts are capable of great feats like this, and then more. Perhaps this is something that cannot be replicated by your world?"

"No, I refuse to believe that," Twilight retorted, not able to conceive that there is magic that cannot be replicated, not able to imagine that Equestria's magic does, indeed, have a limit. "I'm willing to bet that somewhere in Canterlot library's Star Swirl the Bearded wing there's something that can replicate this magic, or something close to it."

"Careful, my Lady Twilight," Gai'vahros warned the unicorn, putting a velvet hand upon her shoulder. "magic is not something you should pursue without control over it. Even if you did find something that can replicate this, or similar, then what? Will you blindly practice such power without prior knowledge of its nature or even if you can control it? Remember; to seek power is a goal, but to abuse it is an end. Don't allow temptation to create risks."

"How do you know so much about magic, Gai'vahros," Twilight turned her head to the Elf who was still looking at the stones. "have you experienced such a disaster with the use of abused magic?"

"No, not a disaster, a full-blown war," the Blood Elf responded with a more serious expression on his face. Twilight, on the other hand, looked more shocked than interested. "we called it the "Nexus War". Maybe we'll talk about it tomorrow around the campfire, if you're interested?" Gai'vahros gave a lighter smile as he offered her his tale, giving her a light shove as he gave her more incentive to join them for their camping.

"Yeah, but there's just _one_ small problem," Rainbow Dash strained as she rolled her eyes. "how the heck are we gonna get Fluttershy, of all ponies, to come on a camping trip with us? You know what she's like; as soon as she hears a rustle in the trees she'll duck under the covers."

"I take it this 'Fluttershy' friend of yours doesn't do too well in the dark?" Gai'vahros was rather intrigued by this friend of theirs.

"Dark, light, and every shade in between," the blue pegasus joked as she gave a little smirk. "for lack of a better phrase, she's a big scaredy-cat."

"Now Rainbow Dash, you know that ain't a nice thing to say 'bout Fluttershy," Applejack reprimanded Rainbow Dash for her rather harsh tongue. "Fluttershy is… well, like her name says; shy. But she can be pretty timid at times."

"Yeah, times between midnight and midnight."

"Hah, she sounds like a peach," Gai'vahros chuckled as he took a seat near the window, sitting next to Twilight on the opposite side of the room from Rainbow Dash. "I just hope that she isn't intimidated by my presence like most others around here."

"I… probably wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you, Gai," Twilight hesitated for a moment, but even she couldn't deny that Fluttershy is easily intimidated by strangers, at least ones who weren't other ponies. "but I think if you allow me to introduce you first she'll be a lot more comfortable around you."

"Hm, that makes sense," the Blood Elf nodded in agreement, making a mental note of sticking behind Twilight and waiting to be introduced, all the while smiling to present himself more friendly to the shy pony. "I guess it's a good thing that I've not got back the entirety of my equipment just yet; nothing is more intimidating than a guy with a weapon at his side, right?"

"Heh, you could say that again." Twilight found some sort of satirical humour in Fluttershy being face to face with a sword-wielding Blood Elf in full armor, although she didn't entertain the thought long enough to get any ideas from it. "I guess I can continue studying these stones after we've finished our camping trip. Thanks for letting me take a look at these, Gai'vahros."

"Not at all, my Lady Twilight," the Blood Elf placed his hand over the two stones, both of which were only half of his hand in size, gaining a light grip into them before pulling them to himself, pocketing them. "I'm sorry that you weren't able to delve into their secrets. Perhaps after our camping trip, we can visit this library you were talking about?"

"It's not really that simple, Gai'vahros," Twilight shook her head, her face down in a look of apology. "the wing is heavily guarded both day and night. It took a lot of effort for me to get into it the first time round."

"Well, that's only because you were a bit coo-coo trying to get in in the first place, Twilight," Spike intervened, showing that it was because of Twilight's approach that made entrance difficult. "but the guards let you in when they recognized ya. You're the princess' student, after all."

"Well, now that you mention it, you're right," Twilight agreed after almost forgetting about how she managed to gain access without need of all the espionage, much to her chagrin. "but I can't guarantee that Gai'vahros will be able to come in with me. I don't even know if he'll be able to set foot on castle grounds."

"You've no need to worry about me, my Lady Twilight," the Blood Knight reassured her, giving a comforting smile. "If I'm not allowed within the library, then that's okay. I can always wait for you outside of the library, right? And, you never told me you were the student of royalty. That's quite an accomplishment."

"Heh, well, I didn't want to come off as bragging," Twilight blushed a little as the Elf complimented her. "and I don't want to leave you outside while I take your gems with me, and they won't let me take any of the scrolls or parchments outside of the archives."

"I trust you, my Lady Twilight. You've done a lot to aid me in the short time I've spent here thus far, that I have no reason to deny you of such a trivial request. Besides, I could always take a walk around Canterlot and do a bit of sightseeing."

"Well, if you're perfectly sure about it…"

"Sure I'm sure. Maybe I can meet this princess of yours, too. It would be dishonourable of me to visit her Majesty's city without introducing myself."

"Hehe, I'm sure Princess Celestia will be most appreciative of that, Gai'vahros."

"Ah, well I think it's time we all catch some Z's," Rainbow Dash interrupted with a rather loud yawn, stretching her forelegs to the sides and arching her back backwards. "and I don't really fancy flying all the way back to Cloudsdale. Mind if I crash here, Twilight?"

"Oh, sure thing, Rainbow Dash." Twilight responded in agreement, although she began to think about sleeping arrangements.

"What about you, Applejack? You gonna crash with us, too?"

"Naw, I can't do that," Applejack refused politely, heading to the door. "I don't wanna leave everyone hangin', wonderin' where I've been all day. I'm gonna head home and make sure Apple Bloom isn't past her bed time. G'night, y'all." the orange pony gave her goodbyes as he made herself out, closing the door behind her.

"Uh, Twilight? What're we gonna do about beds and stuff?" Spike was on the ball when he questioned about sleeping arrangements, seeing as there was only one bed for Twilight and a small one for the baby dragon.

"I know it's not an awful lot, but there are a couple of spare mattresses in the basement," Twilight responded although she was embarrassed that it wasn't much for the two guests. "but I don't have any sheets or covers to go with them. Spike, could you go grab them for me?" The baby dragon nodded as he dashed down the stairwell to the basement floor.

"Nah, that's okay, Twi," Rainbow Dash assured her friend that it wasn't a downer for the pegasus. "we'll just sleep down here. And who needs covers, anyway?"

"Well, okay, if you're sure about that." Twilight reluctantly agreed to cater to Rainbow Dash' wishes before noticing Spike struggling with the two rather large mattresses on his back before giving him a helping hand with her magic. "Ah, thanks Spike. We should be off to bed anyway. Good night, guys."

"Yeah, good night guys." Spike repeated as both he and Twilight made their way up to the first floor.

"Goodnight." both Rainbow Dash and Gai'vahros responded, with the Blood Elf giving a little wave of his hand. Twilight had left both of the mattresses side by side, to which Rainbow Dash quickly pounces upon as she sunk into the soft springs.

"Eh, this doesn't feel right," Rainbow Dash complained as she kept shuffling on top of it, but after a moment just got off entirely. "It's too soft. I can feel the floor press against my back." the Blood Elf gave a little chuckle as he picked up the mattress next to him and tossed it onto the pegasi's. "Gai, what're you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Gai'vahros said sarcastically as he took a seat at one of the tabled, reclining back against it. "I'm giving you my mattress. You shouldn't have to worry about being uncomfortable now."

"But what about you?" Rainbow Dash felt bad taking the Blood Elf's mattress, wondering about how he was going to sleep tonight.

"I'll just sleep on the chair. Don't worry, I'm used to this. And besides, the mattress is too small for me."

"Oh… well, thanks Gai." Rainbow Dash was grateful for Gai'vahros making sure she had a good night sleep, laying back down on the stacked mattresses. It felt a lot better for the pegasus, reminding her of what laying on a cloud felt like, although more dense. However, as a few moments passed, the Blood Elf noticed that Rainbow Dash began to shiver, although he couldn't see it in her body her wings quivered in the cold. The Blood Knight got up slowly and, placing a hand on one shoulder, unclipped the cape from his shoulder pad, and then the next. Walking over to Rainbow Dash, Gai'vahros gently draped his cape over the pegasus like a blanket, which caused Rainbow Dash to turn around as he made his way back to his seat. "H-hey, I told you I don't need any covers."

"Like hell you don't," Gai'vahros said with a smirk, sitting back down. "the shaking on your wings tell me otherwise."

"Oh. Right… thanks Gai. G'night." Rainbow Dash said softly as she tucked herself under the cape to keep herself warm, with only her head sticking out, her eyes closed as she began to drift to sleep. "Oh, and Gai? I think your hair and shoulder pads look awesome..."

"Heh. Thanks. Goodnight…"


	11. New Friends, Chapter 10

White and with patches of the palest of blues, the sky never looked to calm before. A field of emerald grass and a painted palette of coloured flowers. From the regal shades of blue to the kindest of pinks, the meadow was something more of a garden out of fantasy or something that not even the druids of the Cenarion Circle could hope to accomplish. It was truly a sight to behold, if not for its beauty then for its tranquillity. Trees only several meters high and large canopies of orange and tan leaves overlooked this place, despite being the middle of spring the leaves took on a visage that suggested it was the fall of the year, but that's what gave this place its charm. That's what gave Quel'Thalas its beauty. Its tranquillity.

Within the field was a young High Elf girl, looking no older than her early twenties by human aging standards. Her clothing was astonishing, made only from the finest of silks. A small but long sleeved white top covered her chest, leaving her midriff exposed. Her lower half was that of a royal blue long dress, tucked under her legs and softly brushing against the blade of leaves as she kneeled down. Her feet were adorned with pearl-finished slip-ons, though a single, gold buckled strap helped tighten them should they be too loose; a one-size-fits-all design, as it were. He eyes glistening an ice blue colour as her hair was of a royal, golden blonde.

The young girl kneeled over a small patch of flowers, her delicate hands gently tugging at them before pulling them from their stem, making them into a flower chain in a rainbow coloured design. The Elf hummed a soft tune as she worked her fingers in a calm, collective manner, leaving no mistake in her craft, like an artisan in her own right. As she worked, a male High Elf entered through what was like an archway made up of tree branches into the field. The man looked slightly older, perhaps late twenties to early thirties by his looks, a spiked ponytail atop of his head while a few locks hung around his shoulders and over his face. The man was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, donning shining black dress shoes.

"Getting excited for your big day, huh, Lily?" the man spoke out, a warm smile on his face as his shining blue eyes shone in the glistening sunlight. "Haha, even now you still find the time to make your flower chains. You still need to prepare for the coming days. You should really get your dress measured today."

"Silly, I've got plenty of time today to get all of this done," the girl gave a little giggle as her fingers began to tie the stems of two flowers together, a lilac coloured flower coupled with one of a bright, ice blue hue. "anyway, you haven't even got your tuxedo measured yet, so don't give me lectures about time keeping."

"Haha, yeah, you got me there," the male Elf gave a chuckle as he used a hand to flick one of his bangs off to the side. "but that's all I have left to do. You still need to get your dress done, your hair, your fancy make up… need I go on?"

"I know, I know," Lily replied as she began to fasten more colourful flowers together. "but it shouldn't take too long, right? Besides, I like being out here. It helps put my mind to ease."

"Well you can't spend all day out here, sis. You're better off finishing that little flower chain of yours before the day is wasted. Plus, you can't keep a man waiting for too long."

"Oh, but Gai, I feel so nervous," Lily responded to the man who stood beside her. "it's not every day that a woman gets married. And, just being out here makes me feel so … comforted. Like all of my worries just flow away, in the winds."

"Aw, come on now. What're you worried about," Gai'vahros sat down next to the young girl, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and gently pulling her closer to him, causing her to lose her balance and fall against his body. "what's got you all worked up? You can tell your big brother, right?"

"Well you know, I'm about to get married and all. It's only natural for me to feel nervous, right? All of our friends and family will be there, and they'll all be crying and stuff, and that'll make me cry, and…" Lily gave a heavy sigh as she dropped down to her knees, her hands hung in front of her legs, still holding her flower chain. "It's a lot to take in, you know? Even though I've been preparing for days and known about it for much longer, I still feel like I'm not ready for it. Like I'll never be ready for it." The girl gave out a soft sigh, her eyes dropped into a more saddened look.

"… is that all, Lily?" Gai'vahros hunched forwards, turning his head to look at his sister's face, noticing her expression. The Blood Elf began to suspect that there was more to this than she was letting on. "Lily, tell me everything what's wrong with you. I know that look on your face; you always look like that when you're upset about something."

"Well… It's about Jaycen…"

"Jaycen? You're not gonna leave him standing at the altar, are you?"

"N-no! Of course I'm not! It's just that, ever since he proposed to me he's been very… secluded. He's been more active in his duties lately, he's been coming home later and later every evening, he doesn't talk to me as much as usual… what if he doesn't love me anymore…?"

"Oh, Lily…" Gai'vahros held her close with both hands, kissing her on the forehead as she became more emotional with each word. "The truth is, Jaycen was called to help train the new recruits, what with this God forsaken war going on. What with the High Elven army bolstering the humans in Lordaeron, we've been tasked to help repopulate the militia here. Jaycen has just been so overworked right now."

"But, why didn't he say anything to me?"

"He wanted to surprise you on the wedding day, I suppose. He made me swear to keep it secret 'til the big day but, I don't want to see you upset. You know, they've granted him retirement as soon as you two got married, so he wanted to do all he could to help his people before he hung up his armor, as it were. He's a really good Elf, Lily. Greater than most I have known."

"Oh, Gai… I feel so stupid in doubting him now…" The girl buried her face into Gai'vahros' shirt, a few tears streaming down her cheek as she sobbed softly into his chest.

"H-hey, you're gonna get my best shirt all wet," Gai'vahros humoured her as he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her, cuddling and comforting his sister. "Lily, you had all the reason to be concerned about losing Jaycen. That shows that you really care about him, and that's the kind of devotion befitting of a newlywed. Or rather, to be newlywed. Anyway, your stupidity gives you your charm."

"T-thanks, Gai. You're always there for me. You'll always be there for me, won't you?"

"Of course I will, Lily. I'll never leave you behind, or leave you alone. In all my heart, I will never leave you."

"But… Gai… I have one question."

"What is it, Lily? What do you need your big brother for, now?"

"… Why did you let me die…?"

"W…what?" Gai'vahros felt his heart pound against his chest, his throat began to close involuntarily. Something sent a chill down his spine and back up again, his mind almost frozen in a state of shock and horror.

"Why did you leave me to die…?" The girl looked up at Gai, a horrific visage of despair and death upon her face. Her expression was gaunt, her jaw hung as her mouth was agape. Her skin looked as though it was stretched across her skull like a plastic bad was stretched across its contents. Her complexion was hagged, wrinkled, her eye sockets showing through her flesh as its pale blue hue gave a translucent look upon her bones. "You promised me… you promised you wouldn't leave me alone!"

"N-no! I… I-it wasn't my fault!"

"You left me to perish at the hands of the scourge!" Her hands clawed up at the High Elf's shirt, her nails long, chipped and stained of pale yellows and greens, her bones showing through her flesh as though she hadn't eaten for weeks. Quickly, her shaking, trembling fingers gripped upon the face of the horrified man, her touch was rough, dry, and as cold as death itself. Her hair began to split and flicker in a violent wind that swept over the both of them, shifting from a shining blonde to a rusty white colour, the ends of her hair bronzed in a decrepit rust colour. "You left me to be torn apart by those monsters! What say you, Gai'vahros? What say you…?"

"Lily… I-I'm sorry! I didn't know! I… I didn't know!"

"You weren't there for me, Gai'vahros," her voice became shrill, darkened, raspy, as the skin upon her bones began to slowly peel and flake away, showing only a bleached skeleton underneath with mottles of a sickly green as though fungus began to fester in. The scenery began to change, twist and warp into a sinister visage as the entire landscape metamorphed into a nightmarish plane. The trees became withered and twisted, its branches contorted and twisted around one-another. The fields became corrupt with dark purple patches of decayed grass and fauna, maggots crawling in stinking mounds of soil. The scenery turned from its glorious morning into a dank and ominous blanket of twisted shadows and darkness. "you were never there for me. You were never there for anyone…"

"No! I couldn't save anyone! It wasn't my fault! Please, forgive me! I beg for forgiveness!"

"… I will not… I forsake you…" Her voice rested for a moment, but her voice became dark and distorted as though a thousand souls began to speak through her. Each one Gai'vahros made out to be another Elven voice. Men, women, children, Gai'vahros could make out each and every one of them as clear as crystal through his ears, through his mind. As he looked on in horror and sorrow, the skin upon his sister's face began to flake away faster, before long he was merely looking into the opened eye sockets of a decrepit and festered skull with white hair. "We ALL forsake you…"

"NO!" Gai'vahros thrust himself and one arm forwards as he tried to call out to something. Anything. But all the Elf found was a dark room, bookshelves around him, a few windows on opposite walls and a desk near them. He looked around, a cold sweat dripping from his brow and cheek. His eyes were widened, his breathing frantic and heavy, but as he looked around frantically he began to calm down slowly. The Blood Elf had recognized that he was back in the Golden Oaks Library. "I… I'm… It was all just a dream…?"

The ordeal was almost too much, almost completely shattering the foundations of his heart. He looked down at the table in front of him before placing his elbows upon its oak surface, arms up right as he leaned forwards and held his head between his palms. It was painful for the Blood Knight to have to revisit such painful events from his past.

"Why does this haunt me so…" The Blood Elf muttered to himself, feeling choked up and shaken to his core from experiencing such a horrible nightmare. His began to breathe slowly, but deeply, still feeling like his was left severely winded. "Is this my repentance…?" Gai'vahros looked up as he heard a rather loud snort coming from the center of the room. Rainbow Dash was still asleep soundly, her body sprawled out on the mattress as half of the cape she used to cover herself draped over the sides and off her body, leaving one of her hind legs exposed and half of her upper torso. The pegasus snored quite loudly, almost so much that it was a wonder as to how Gai'vahros, or anyone else in fact, was able to sleep through it.

The Blood Elf gave a heavy sigh as he reclined back in his chair for a moment. He began to stare up at the bare oak ceiling, his mind beginning to wander within a tandem of thoughts, memories and regrets. Quickly he raised both hands to his face and pressed them hard, his fingers dragging down as he tried desperately to claw the sorrow from his mind, to no avail. His hands dropped onto his knees with a audible slap before launching forwards, standing to his feet as he pushed the chair away from him with his calves, making a light squeak noise as the chair legs scraped against the floor. Slowly he turned and walked towards the door, gently opening it a little, enough for him to squeeze through and closing it quickly so that he didn't let too much of a draft come into the library.

The sky was calm, mystical and inviting for the troubled Blood Elf. He looked up at the stars above, each one glinting and glistening like a diamond upon ebon silk. He turned his attention to a bench that was placed nearby on the grass between a pathway and the trunk of the library. The design reminded him much of Silvermoon's own furniture, although much smaller and made of a harder wood. Slowly walking towards it, Gai'vahros let his body fall upon a seating position on the bench, looking out towards the rest of the town before, again, staring back up at the sky.

"I wonder which one of those is Azeroth…" Gai'vahros murmured to himself before reaching a hand up in front of his face. His gloved hand stuck out, open, palm facing towards the sky as if trying to reach out for the stars, before closing it into a light fist. Giving a soft sigh, his arm dropped down to the side as it made a little thud against the wood of the bench. "So far away… so, so far away…" It felt good to the Blood Elf to get some fresh air into his lungs, much fresher than what he remembered back on Azeroth. What with the war on Pandaria the only air he breathed in was a mixture of sulphur from the Goblin and Gnomish contraptions and machinery, and the smell of iron in the blood of those he was tasked to slay.

His mind began to clear up, the visages of his nightmare began to shrivel and shrink into a collapsed void although the trauma still stuck in his mind like paints on a canvas, never to be erased. Regardless he took another deep breath before standing back up, making his way back into the library. After he had carefully entered through the doorway, not wanting to awaken Rainbow Dash by the cold or by any noise, Gai'vahros sat back down on the chair as he did prior, leaning back against it. He thought for a moment, but his eyes began to close, fatigue setting in as his mind felt taxed.

"Am I really forsaken…?"


	12. New Friends, Chapter 11

Daybreak began to motion into the horizon within the early hours of the morrow. The sun raised slowly as it began to beam colours of oranges and reds upon a skyline of blues and pearl whites. Seeing the sun reflect off the clouds in the sky made the horizon something of a lustrous painting upon a global canvas, everything felt so vivid and alive despite it only being a scenery. As the light glared upon those mounds of fluff that drifted upon gentle breezes, it rendered them as dark patterns of waves upon the skies, making the sunshine feel all that more glamorous. It was a sight to remember, surely.

Within the Golden Oaks Library things were still peaceful and at rest. Twilight and Spike were on the first floor inside Twilight's sleeping quarters, with Spike curled up in a small bed-like basket, sleeping upon a soft quilt while blue silk blankets kept him tucked in and cosy. Twilight was more or less in the same state, laying on her back with her forelegs over the covers as she looked so at ease within her slumber. Rainbow Dash remained in near enough the exact state as last night, with half of Gai'vahros' cape over her body while the over half was hanging over the side of the mattress'. Gai'vahros, however, looked restless as he was hunched forwards over the desk, looking as though he couldn't get comfortable after he fell back asleep.

Within a moment's notice a loud ringing sound began to blare through the house for several seconds before stopping. A small *click* came from upstairs as Twilight pressed her hoof against a button on a small alarm clock. The lavender unicorn sat up slowly before giving a big yawn and stretching her forelegs to the side. Although her eyes were half closed and looked as though she hadn't had much sleep through the night, she was quite energetic as she quickly kicked the covers from her with her hind legs.

"Ah… morning already," Twilight yawned again as she spoke, holding a hoof up to her widened mouth as she spoke, a natural reaction to avoid being impolite around others when she showed her tiredness. "I hope Gai'vahros had a good night sleep… Come on, Spike, we have a lot of work ahead of us."

"Uh-hmm…" Spike tossed a little in his sleep, turning over to his side as he began to mumble in his sleep. "Just five more minutes …" the baby dragon gave out a small yawn himself as he snuggled up to his pillow with an arm wrapped around it.

"No, Spike, I need you to be up to look after the library while I'm out do introduce Gai'vahros to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie." Twilight turned and removed herself from her bed as she got down onto all fours, making her way to a dressing table.

"Nnnnng… okay, okay," Twilight grumbled as he slowly sat up in his basket, his face still gaunt and sleepy although he knew that he had to get up at this time to help maintain the library. "gee, Twilight, you look like you barely got any sleep last night. You normally look more… well, ready."

"I guess I still felt a bit uneasy about the whole leaving the library thing we talked about yesterday," Twilight replied to her friend as she used her magic to take hold of a soft hair brush, gently running it through her mane. "I mean, I've never left the whole library unattended for this long before. Maybe I can ask some-pony to watch over it for me while I'm gone?"

"Oh come on, Twilight, stop being such a worry wart. It's not like anyone is gonna break in here just to steal a book, right?"

"Yeah, perhaps you're right. Well, it's in my best interest to try and show Gai'vahros a good time while he's staying in Equestria."

"Oh, speaking of which, Twilight, do you think he's still sleeping? Should I go wake him up?"

"Don't worry, Spike, I'll go wake him and Rainbow Dash up. We'd better get moving early if we're going to be spending the afternoon camping. Spike, take a schedule for me, if you please?"

"Sure thing, Twilight." The little dragon was already up and on his feet at this point, quickly he rushed to a nearby chest of drawers and pulled out a long piece of parchment and a quill pen, already dabbed in ink somehow. "'kay, shoot!"

"First, go and meet up with Fluttershy. Second, go meet up with Pinkie Pie. Third, return back here and get ready for camp. Forth, make sure everything is pristine, clean, and organized. Fifth, let every-pony know that we'll be away for a few days. And finally, go camping. All of this needs to be done by at least 4 o'clock this afternoon. Did you get all of that, Spike?"

"Sure I did!"

"Good. Gotta always make a schedule when preparing for something like this. Anyway, I'd better get Gai'vahros and Rainbow Dash up so we can get going." Twilight placed the brush back down on the dressing table and made her way to the stairwell, with Spike following close behind her. However, as she trotted down the steps with little knocking sounds following her, she noticed that Gai'vahros was wide awake on a seat next to a desk by the window, a smile upon his face.

"Ah, good morrow, my Lady Twilight, little Spike," the Blood Elf greeted her and the dragon with a soft tone and a small wave of his hand. "I trust the both of you slept well last night?"

"Probably a lot better than you did, Gai'vahros," Twilight made her way to the bottom of the steps before looking around, trying to find the second mattress, but couldn't see it. "don't tell me you spent all night asleep on the chair."

"Of course. Lady Rainbow Dash felt the mattress was too uncomfortable on its own, so I let her have mine as well." Gai'vahros looked down at the sleeping pegasus, who was still snoring quite loudly as she looked completely relaxed, despite being sprawled out on top of the mattress'.

"I see you gave her your cape, too," Twilight said with a small giggle, smiling at the two of them as the Blood Elf returned with a little chuckle himself. "I'm sorry you had to stick your neck out for Rainbow Dash. I appreciate you having to give up your accommodation for her, and I think she'll appreciate it more."

"It was nothing at all," Gai'vahros raised his hand as if to gesture to hold her compliments, shaking his head a little. "I was more than happy to make sure she had a good night sleep. I kind of owe it to her after what happened yesterday."

"But, Gai'vahros, you know it wasn't your fault. We all know that."

"Even so, we all do things we know that isn't out fault, and we still hold guilt over those scenarios. Making up for it puts the mind at ease. You understand, don't you?"

"Hm, yeah. You're right." Twilight nodded as she made her way to Rainbow Dash, standing over her as the pegasus kept snoring, her mouth wide open. "Rainbow Dash, wake up. You gotta get ready for camping today." the pegasus only replied with a snort before rolling over onto her side, much like Spike did earlier. "She really is a heavy sleeper…"

"Don't worry, I know what will work." Gai'vahros gave assurance to the lavender pony as he stood up from his chair and walked over to Rainbow Dash. Kneeling down in front of her, he moved his hand close to her open mouth and, with his thumb and index finger, slowly placed them inside and pinched her tongue slightly. In reflex, her mouth closed, her lips around his digits and she awoke immediately. In shock as to what was happening, Rainbow Dash bolted backwards with great speed, flying off the mattress and hovering in the air.

"H-hey, what the hay are you doing!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she stick her tongue out, trying to see what Gai'vahros had done to her. "What did you just do to me, Gai!?"

"Gai'vahros… How did you know that was going to work?" Twilight questioned the Blood Elf's methods with a raised eyebrow.

"And old trick I learned back home," Gai'vahros was ready to explain while wiping the pony's drool from her tongue into the cloth of his faulds. "you see, while the body sleeps it still maintains a certain spacial awareness. The mouth, for example, will close and stimulate the brain to awaken it should anything touch the inside. This reflex prevents the sleeper from inhaling and choking on objects while they sleep. Pretty cool, right?"

"No, that wasn't "cool"," Rainbow Dash complained as she began to spittle to one side. "I thought you were trying to suck out my soul or somethin'!"

"No no, of course not. That's a Warlock's job."

"Well anyway, I'm glad you're awake now, Rainbow Dash. We need to get going to meet up with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, so we can keep on schedule."

"Pfft, schedule-smedual," Rainbow Dash wasn't pleased with Rainbow Dash keeping a schedule on what was meant to be a fun week out with all of her friends. "I have enough time tables to keep up with while I'm on duty. I didn't take the week off from weather forecasting to jump hoof first into more schedules."

"In any case I think we should probably get going," Gai'vahros didn't care about schedules although he cared less for possibly having to sit through an argument between Rainbow Dash and Twilight about the importance of timekeeping. "So, my Lady Twilight, where are we headed to, first?"

"We should head over to Fluttershy's first," Twilight used her horn to pull the schedule list from Spike's grasps, holding it up to her eyes a few inches from her. "I know Sugar Cube Corner is on the way but she's probably still asleep. Fluttershy will be up feeding her critters at this time."

" "At this time"? Exactly what time is it?"

"It's six-thirty. In the morning, Gai'vahros," Twilight said, turning to a small clock on the wall near the door. "It says so right there."

"Hm?" Gai'vahros turned, noticing a small, round, wooden device, similar to a saucer or a plate, with a glass window with numbers in a circle. Two hands, one long and one short, pointed at the number 6 on the southern face of this contraption. "What kind of machine is this?"

"Gai, that's a clock," Rainbow Dash responded with a dumbfounded tone in her voice, a raised eyebrow on her face. "you know what a clock is, right?"

"No. I've never seen such a device before," Gai'vahros was astonished by the work of equine engineering that he had to absolutely have a better look at it. Gently he lifted it from the hook on the wall it was sitting on, holding it between his hands and turning, flipping, rotating it so he could examine it. "I mean, I've never seen one such as this before. I know that we have timers on explosives but, nothing that is actually used to tell the time. We use sundials to give us the time base on the position of the sun."

"Haha, sundials," Rainbow Dash gave off a bellow of laughter as she hunched forwards. "how archaic are you guys?"

"Well, if it does the job, it does the job. No sense in fixing what isn't broken, as they say," Gai'vahros gave a calm response as he hung it back into the hook. "so this thing isn't a timer for any explosives?"

"Uh… no," Twilight gave a blunt answer. "I don't think I would want to blow up my own home, would I?"

"Oh. Yes, that makes sense."

"Well, let's go. I'm sure Fluttershy will be happy to see us."

"Hey, you guys go on ahead," Rainbow Dash said as she made her way to the door, opening it while looking back at the others. "I need to head back to Cloudsdale to get my stuff ready. I'll catch you guys up at Sugar Cube Corner." the pegasus didn't bother giving a farewell as she zoomed out the door and through the skies, heading back to Cloudsdale.

"Follow me, Gai'vahros. I'll take you to Fluttershy's place," Twilight followed suit of Rainbow Dash and headed out the door with the Blood Elf following her from behind. "Spike, could you look after the library while we're gone? We should be back in a few hours."

"No problem, Twilight," Spike said in a confident manner, saluting her as a token of duty. "Say hi to everyone for me, won'tchya?"

"Sure we will, Spike." Twilight giggled before closing the door behind her, her Elven friend standing beside her. "Fluttershy's place isn't too far from here. We just got to go east of here, near Rarity's place, but we take the middle bridge this time."

"Oh yes, I recall seeing three bridges when we went to Lady Rarity's shop," Gai'vahros replied in acknowledgement of the scenery, recalling a moment when he was intrigued by the many bridges that crossed over Ponyville's river. "so where about does the third bridge lead to, my Lady Twilight? I'm rather intrigued, seeing that it leads to outside of your village"

"That bridge leads on to the main road to Canterlot. It's an hour or so walking, but we usually take the train there; it's only half an hour or so by locomotion."

"That doesn't sound like such a long time," Gai'vahros gave a light sigh before he could imagine having to spend that short a time walking from one city to another. "I remember the days when I would spend three day's grace on horseback from Silvermoon to Lordaeron. I only wish I had transportation as fast as your to get me there in half an hour, my Lady Twilight."

"Wait, wait, horseback?" Twilight stopped for a moment as they reached Sugar Cube Corner, her rather disapproval expression beaming towards the Blood Knight. "You mean you ride them? You use horses to carry you?"

"Well, yes," Gai'vahros wishes he hadn't mentioned such a thing; he was pretty empathetic towards the pony that she had to imagine her race being used as labour. Gai'vahros probably would feel the same way if his people were used as pack mules. And they were, during the third war. "but you must understand, my Lady Twilight, that the horses and other creatures in our world are not sentient being like you and your people - uh, ponies - are. We help raise them, and look after them, and in return they become our steeds and our carriers. Kind of like helping each other. Companionship."

"I can hardly imagine a world where ponies and stallions aren't sentient," Twilight admitted and she felt rather discomforted with this information, but she would not let it strain her relationship with the Blood Elf, not after everything they've been through despite being such short time. "but then again, I guess it's hard for you to imagine a world without Elves, right?"

"Haha, you can put it that way, yes," Gai'vahros gave a more comforting chuckle to help raise the spirits of his friend. "but our worlds have completely different workings. I can understand and appreciate that your world, Equestria, has no other sentient humanoids like me around. Perhaps it's better that way."

"Gai'vahros, don't say that," Twilight tried to comfort the Blood Elf, despite him not looking as though he was discontent with his predicament or about his own world. But, Twilight knew better. She could see that the Elf was sorrowed over the fact that his world knew nothing but fighting, be it over politics, distrust, or prejudice. "you're not the only one in your world who dislikes warring between people."

"Yeah, you're right," Gai'vahros said, petting the lavender pony on the head, which made her feel much more at ease. Twilight could recognize that, whenever the Blood Elf touched her, it was like he was pouring his heart and soul into her. "I guess I'm just upset that I'm the only one who gets to experience what true peace can feel like. I just wish everyone could feel the way I feel right now."

"Oh, Gai'vahros…" Twilight softly cooed. She was so infatuated, so admired, towards the Elf's ideals, his nobility, and his devotion. It was hard for her to believe that anyone like him could exist, even in Equestria, let alone in a world that was scarred by the rapture of strife and conflict. "We should get to Fluttershy's soon. Maybe we can help her with her critter friends." Twilight proceeded over the bridge and towards the pathway to Fluttershy's place, with Gai'vahros following behind her.

"I just hope I don't scare the pants off her. You know, if ponies wore pants."


	13. New Friends, Chapter 12

The sun began to peer over the horizon into the morning sky, changing from an orange and violet cascade of colours to a pale, sky blue shade. The clouds drift on soft streams of breeze through the morrow skyline, calmly to the songs of birds that spread their vocals for all those who were lucky enough to hear their beauty. The calm swaying of the branches in the trees made the area seem more lively than it really was, rustling their leaves upon one another but not so much that it was causing a large amount of noise.

Despite Gai'vahros having seen a lot of nature and tree-bound structures in Ponyville, nothing could prepare him for what would be bestowed upon him. The bridge was made of a dull gold stone, with a strip of moss on each side. A few trees stood around the bridge and the house in the distance, each one fitted with small bird nests and bird houses, some of differing sizes but all the same style, but with roofs of differing colours between dark, regal blue to emerald green to cherry red. A small, winding pathway of tightly packed beige stone led to the front door, with patches of daisy flowers at the sides.

The house itself looked like a large hill in itself, but it was simple a large done-shaped roof made of, what seemed to me, grass and other flora. The top of it had two gable windows, spread in the same foliage as the rest of the roofing, with a tall, thin chimney with a bird house on the side of it. It wasn't the only bird house though, as a couple more could be seen; one was atop of the large arch that housed the front door, while another hung from a hoop of string attached to a post near two side windows on the ground floor.

"Here we are, Gai'vahros," Twilight spoke out as they both passed halfway over the bridge, stopping to allow the Blood Elf to marvel at the scenery in front of him. "Do you like it?"

"It's very, uh, green," Gai'vahros was a bit embarrassed to speak, he wasn't entirely sure what to say although he knew what he wanted to say in his heart. He didn't want to come across as being overly attached. "but it's very beautiful, I must say. It's not every day that I get to see something so… Ah, what's the word? Inclined to nature, I guess."

"Fluttershy's really great with animals, you know," Twilight expressed a great deal of respect for Fluttershy's gift, as it were. "I remember when she scared away a cockatrice by staring at it."

"She sounds like an excellent beastmaster," Gai'vahros complimented the pegasus with terms native to his world. "but what is a cockatrice? I've not heard of such a creature. A fearsome foe, by the sounds of it."

"I'll say. The Cockatrice is a dangerous creature, with the head of a chicken and the body of a snake, with bat-like wings. It has the power to turn to stone whoever stares into its eyes."

"But wait, didn't you say your friend Fluttershy scared it away by staring at it?"

"Yeah. Well, the cockatrice was turning her to stone, but she managed to hold out long enough to make it change me and Fluttershy back to normal before scaring it away."

"To think that all I've heard is about how your friend is shy, timid and easily frightened. And she would put her life on the line for her friend. She truly is a great inspiration to all. A little peculiar, but a great friend regardless."

"Hehe, I'll be sure to tell her that." Twilight giggled as she felt a bit embarrassed about how much praise the Elf was bestowing upon her friend. As the two of them made their way through the winding path, they both stood just in front of the door, although Gai'vahros made sure to stay behind his escort as to not appear too up front and intimidating. The lavender unicorn raised her hoof and knocked on the red wooden door three times. "Fluttershy? Are you home?" After a pause, there was no reply. Twilight and Gai'vahros stood back, waiting for someone to answer, or something to happen, but nothing.

"I guess she's not in," Gai'vahros said quietly to the unicorn, not wanting to pierce the peaceful sounds of the surroundings with his loud voice. "do you think maybe she's gone out somewhere?"

"No, I wouldn't think so," Twilight was sure that Fluttershy would be at home at this time. "she always gets up and tends to her critters at this time of day. Maybe she didn't hear me?" Though before Twilight go make another knock at the door, she saw the door creek open a little before opening fully. Stood on the other side upon a large, square, red rug was a pegasus pony of a light yellow colour and pink hair. The first thing that Gai'vahros took notice was her large, cute eyes and long eyelashes, but her long, pink hair made her look even more adorable. Her cutie mark couldn't be seen by the both of them, what with the pegasus standing forwards and her wings blocking the view.

"O-oh! Hello, Twilight," Fluttershy said in a quiet, very soft spoken tone. While most ponies would have difficulty trying to listen to her, it was considerably clear to the Elf. "I'm sorry I didn't answer sooner, but Angel needed his tail fluffing…"

"It's okay, Fluttershy," Twilight understood Fluttershy's reason for being a bit late answering the door. The unicorn turned to the Blood Elf that stood behind her to introduce him. "Fluttershy, I'd like to introduce you-"

"Oh my, Twilight, did you find this little guy in the Everfree Forest?" Fluttershy gave a question of concern as she lifted off the ground and made her way towards the rather confused Elf. "I've never seen a hedgehog like this before… maybe he's a new kind of armoured, bipedal hedgehog?"

"Uh, no, Fluttershy, he's a-"

"Look at his quills and skin," Fluttershy was obviously confused by Gai'vahros' hairstyle and suit of armor, not recognizing them for what they were. "he looks so thin and famished! Don't worry, little guy, Fluttershy will look after you." the pegasus was smitten with the Elf, falsely recognizing him as a large hedgehog creature. As she spoke she began to pet him on the head like any owner would do their pets.

"I'm flattered that you would treat me with such hospitality," Gai'vahros spoke up quietly, trying to mimic Fluttershy's level of volume as to not frighten her with his sudden outburst. "but I'm not a hedgehog. Or a pet."

"Eep!" Fluttershy squeaked as he eyes widened, shooting away from the Blood Knight with a burst of speed, staying several feet from him. "Y-you can talk! I-I've never heard of a talking hedgehog before…"

"No, Fluttershy, he's not a hedgehog," Twilight walked up to the two of them, her head turning to Gai'vahros. "Gai'vahros here is an Elf, from another world. He somehow ended up here so we're taking care of him. I just thought we'd come by and say hello."

"O-oh, okay," Fluttershy acknowledged the situation although she had her own lot of questions to ask, but Fluttershy wasn't one to pry into other people's business. "It's nice to meet you, Gai'vahros."

"No no, the pleasure is all mine, my Lady Fluttershy," Gai'vahros gave a small bow with a hand across his chest to signify his etiquette. "I'm happy that I am able to meet a pony as faithful to their friend as you, from what kind words I have been told from Lady Twilight here."

"O-oh… I-I'm not that faithful…. I don't think…" Fluttershy blushed as she hid her face behind her fair, turning sideward's to help that notion, feeling embarrassed and shy that someone that she had only known for a few moments was praising her with such admiration.

"Oh, Fluttershy, you are a great friend, to all of us," Twilight spoke up as she continued to praise Fluttershy as a follow up to Gai'vahros' own words of kindness. "You've helped us out a lot of times."

"T-thank you, Twilight," Fluttershy peeked out from behind her long pink fringe, still blushing but with a sweet smile upon her lips. She turned to Gai'vahros again, but a bit more comfortable around him, almost seeing a spitting image of Twilight's own friendly face in the Blood Elf. "and, thank you too, Gai'vahros. Uh… can I help you with anything else?"

"Actually, my Lady Fluttershy, we were wondering if you'd like to come camping with us this evening?" Gai'vahros gestured to himself and then to Twilight with a wave of his arm. "we're all going to go camping in the woods later. Me, Lady Twilight, little Spike, Lady Rainbow Dash, Lady Applejack and little Apple Bloom will all be going."

"C-c-camping? Oh, oh no, I couldn't do that," Fluttershy began to stutter her words quickly and softly, keeping her head down and hiding her face back behind her fringe. "I-I, uh, have to stay and look after the critters… if that's okay with you…"

"Oh, right, I didn't think about that…" Twilight became dumbstruck that she had completely forgot about how the animals were going to be taken care of while they were out. "Maybe there's some-pony in Ponyville who will volunteer to look after them while we're gone?"

"Oh, oh no, I couldn't let anyone else look after them," Fluttershy insisted that she should stay and look after the critters, if not because she didn't want to impose a heavy responsibility on another person, then because she did not think anyone else could be suited for such a task or have a knack for it like she does. "I-I don't want to bother any-pony else while I'm away…"

"Hmmm…" Gai'vahros thought for a moment. He knew he had a solution but it was taking a while for it to come to his mind; someone who was good with animals would be the perfect candidate. Then it struck him; he did know of one who was legitimately great with looking after animals. "Oh! I know just the person!" Gai'vahros exclaimed, reaching into his pocket, pulling out the amber Pet Stone.

"O-oh… you do…?" Fluttershy didn't sound as happy as one would think, suggesting that her excuse was used as a scapegoat to get out of going camping, though both Twilight and Gai'vahros were oblivious to that fact.

"Sure thing. Stand back." holding the gem in one hand while hovering the other above it, he began to channel a small amount of magic into it. A small stream of blue and silver colours began to flow from the palm and tips of his fingers, swirling and dancing around the stone like a small whirlpool. The magic began to grow in velocity and expanse, the strands becoming thicker and sparkling as its arcane infusions began to clash like steel upon steel, magnificent sparks glistening in the sun. Within moments, the stone shone a bright golden hue before forming, in a spark of light just in front of the Blood Elf, a small humanoid creature. The person stood roughly four feet tall, slightly smaller than Twilight herself, with a bright green hue of skin and dark, brown eyes. His hair was that of a spiky Mohawk style, dark with a hint of purple. His clothing consisted of a long sleeved white shirt and dark, black pants, with no footwear of his own. Over his shirt he wore a white tabard with a symbol consisting of a bright, pale gold circle with a black star around the outside of it.

"H-huh… where…?" the little person spoke in a child-like tone of voice, sounding a little course in his throat, the voice of an Orc. The young boy turned to look at Gai'vahros, and turned his confused expression into one of happiness. "Oh, Sir Gai'vahros! H-how can I help you? You need a letter delivered? Need something put on the auction house?"

"Haha, no, no, Mogan. I need you with something a bit more delicate. Something more along your line of expertise," Gai'vahros praised the young lad on having something particular that required him specifically. "My friend here, Fluttershy, needs you to look after her animals for a few days. You think you can handle that?"

"O-of course I can do that! Gruntling Mogan, at your service," He turned to see both Twilight and Fluttershy standing in front of him. The pegasus was a bit shy, but Twilight was more open in her approach to the young Orc. "So, shall I start with these two, Sir?"

"No, no, no," Gai'vahros chuckled as the young boy mistook the two ponies for the animals he was tasked to look after. "This here is Fluttershy. She needs you to look after the animals she has in her house."

"W-wait, a winged horse is looking after animals? Is this that "maternal instinct" I've read about, where animals look after other animals of a different species?"

"U-uh, I'm not their mother. I just look after them." Fluttershy spoke in her natural soft voice, correcting the assumption that the little Orc had made.

"Ah! The horse! It talked!" the little boy recoiled in surprised, hiding behind the Elf. "Since when could horses talk like that?"

"Our world works a bit differently from yours, the way I understand it," Twilight tried to approach the small Orc but it was a little too much for him at the moment. "Like you and Gai'vahros, ponies here in Equestria are sentient."

"That's… quite a lot to take in," the child began to understand although he was still a bit uncomfortable with this predicament. It was more or less the fact that he was such a big animal lover, much like Fluttershy, that he was so composed. "so, uh, where are the ones I need to look after?"

"Oh, right. My Lady Fluttershy, would you like to show Mogan to where your animals are? Don't worry, he's been trained to know the needs of every creature on Azeroth. He's an excellent naturist. We'll see you guys later, okay?"

"O-o-okay… Uh, follow me, Mogan. I'll show you around…" Fluttershy was a bit dubious with letting him inside her house although if he was a friend of Gai'vahros, who was a friend of Twilight's, then she was happy with that.

"Okay." The little Orc seemed completely comfortable, almost infatuated, with the pegasus. "Uh… Miss Fluttershy? Do you think I could brush your mane? Or clean your wings? If it's okay with you, that is…?"

"Oh… that would be nice, thank you…" the two of them headed inside, closing the door behind them. Gai'vahros and Twilight smiled at each other as they turned back towards the bridge.

"So, Gai'vahros, who is that little person?" Twilight asked but was unable to think of the words that didn't sound as offensive. "He seems to admire you greatly."

"Oh, Mogan? He's my assistant, as it were," Gai'vahros began to explain, prompting Twilight to understand that Mogan was to the Blood Elf as Spike was to her. "when I was crowned an Argent Champion, Mogan was inspired and, well, became my little assistant, an "Argent Gruntling", as his title is."

"The "Argent Champion" title, are you part of a knightly order other than the Blood Knights?"

"It's a long story. We'll talk about it more at camp, okay?"

"Oh, sure thing, Gai'vahros. So about Mogan, what does he do?"

"He's a smart little boy. Raised in the right way, outside of this Horde - Alliance war. As part of the Argent Crusade he's been taught to fight again those who threaten Azeroth, to put it simply. Mogan himself, he was a young stable boy, looking after the horses for the knights and paladins. But, he was so good at it, so well versed with it that it just became his mainstay. Then they found out that he was good with animals other than horses; pack wolves, bears, giant bats, whatever animal approached him, be they feral or aggressive, they just… became tamed, as it were. He's kind of like an Orcish version of Lady Fluttershy."

"Do you think he'll be okay with Fluttershy? This is a different world, after all. Maybe he won't be able to handle the animals here."

"He will. I have faith in the boy," Gai'vahros spoke softly with a smile on his face, turning to Twilight. "that's all you ever need in someone, my Lady Twilight. A little faith, and a little trust, can go a long way."


	14. New Friends, Chapter 13

Back in the village of Ponyville, everything was a lot more active than it was yesterday, and the days before that as well before Gai'vahros had turned up in Equestria. The town square was booming with life, with all sorts of ponies coming and going, looking into shop windows, sitting outside of the café, and generally just having a great time outdoors. Even the noise from their talking was not like as it had been in the prior days, with an abundance of warm greetings, casual conversations and cheerful small talk.

It didn't take too long for Twilight and Gai'vahros to make their way back to the town square, where they had noticed a much larger density of pony-folk than yesterday. However, the greater population made Gai'vahros a bit more nervous, remembering the commotion that he had caused yesterday, with his new clothing his only saving grace. The Blood Knight thought that, perhaps, the novelty of Rarity's tailoring would wear out quickly.

"There sure is a large crowd today, wouldn't you agree, Gai'vahros?" Twilight turned to speak to her Elven friend, but noticed an easy look on his face. "Uh, Gai'vahros, are you feeling okay?" Twilight had a concerned tone in her voice as she tilted her head to try and see the whole of his face.

"I'm not so sure, my Lady Twilight," Gai'vahros replied in a soft-spoken voice. His words jittered as they left his mouth, a slight hint of nerves affecting his speech. "I just get this feeling that we're going to have a repeat of what happened yesterday. I'm just… wait a minute," Gai'vahros took a step and moved his head forwards, his gaze fixated upon a female pony wearing a rose red and deep purple coloured skirt. "Do you see that pony over there? Those colours, they're the same as mine."

"Wait, are you sure?" Twilight didn't think it was purposefully done, or even to believe him. Following suit, Twilight took a close look at the same pony that stood several meters away from the two of them, standing near a set of double doors of a shop with a strong-looking stallion. The pony was, indeed, wearing colours that resembled the silk garments of Gai'vahros' suit. The main fabric was a red colour, while a pattern of swirls and curves weaved through the folds. "You're right, she _is_ wearing your colours. But, just a coincidence, right?"

"I'd like to think it, but…" Gai'vahros said quietly, muttering to himself as he placed a gloved hand on his chin in thought, fiddling with his goatee with his index finger. "yesterday, Lady Rarity needed you to help with her pattern cutting, right? Not to mention she took quite a fancy to my clothing, too."

"Are you suggesting that Rarity just… put two and two together, and decided to make a dress using your colours?"

"It's a very strong possibility. How about we ask her?" Gai'vahros was rhetorical in his question, making his way to the pony in the unique dress.

"No, wait, Gai'vahros!" Twilight tried to grab at his arm to pull him back, but the Blood Elf moved a bit too quickly for the unicorn to catch him. She gave a deep sigh of discontent as her walked off without her. "I get the feeling this is going to be really bad…"

It seemed as though most of the pony-folk were too busy or preoccupied with other things to direct much attention to Gai'vahros as he made his way through the crowds. However, the more ponies whose visions he began to walk across, the more began to take look at him. It was even more so recurring as he placed his hands on them gently as a gesture to excuse him as he moved through. Of course, most of these equines had never felt the gentle touch of Equestrian silk that lined his gauntlets, let alone the rather ticklish feel of humanoid hands and fingers along their sides. After a few moments, Gai'vahros had managed to gain presence to the pony in the unique dress.

"Excuse me, my Lady," the Blood elf gave a small bow, as was his usual custom to new people he would greet or introduce himself too. "My name is Gai'vahros Dawnbreaker, of the Knights of Silvermoon. May I-"

"You're "Gai'vahros"? Ohhhh, charmed to meet you," the lady replied in a very posh voice. She was quite tall, a cyan colour much like Rainbow Dash, with orange hair done up in a very intricate style that was reminiscent of High Elven styles, with two sets of pearls around the top. The pony was very well spoken and incredibly well-mannered, but it was surprising to Gai'vahros that she had reacted in such a way, but more so to the fact that she had repeated his name as though she had heard of him. "so you're the one who should be credited for the absolutely marvellous dress?" twirling around a little and shaking her rump, the pony began to show off the flow of the silk in the sparkling sun, in which hints of gold began to shine through as though it had been infused with gold dust or glitter. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Giselle, and this is my friend, Hairy Tipper."

"Ah, pleased to meet ya." the rather large stallion spoke as he was introduce. Hairy Tipper was a few inches taller than his lady friend, almost as tall as Gai'vahros. His coat was a greyish colour, with a brown mane and tail, a handlebar moustache, chest hair, a pair of sunglasses and, most noticeable of all, had a sparkling green collared shirt.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sir Hairy Tipper," Gai'vahros responded in flattery as he bowed to the stallion in his usual demeanour. Turning back to Giselle, he tried to ask her about the dress once more. "Lady Giselle, may I ask where you got that dress, and how you know who I am?"

"Why, of course, dear," Giselle replied cooperatively. "this dress was made by the talented Rarity, and can be found in a lot of clothes shops in Ponyville. The posters said that the design was "Gai'vahros' Inspiration". Naturally, no one had even heard of who this was. It's a very popular design, mind you, that there has been talks of extending the design to Canterlot!" Giselle was incredibly well-spoken about the dress design, praising its designer by a large amount. "I can see where she got that inspiration from, looking at that incredible suit of armour you're wearing."

"Haha, oh, you flatter me too much, my Lady Giselle," Gai'vahros began to blush a cherry red, scratching the back of his head as he gave an awkward smile to the pony. "I didn't even think that Lady Rarity would consider using my armor as a basis for her own clothing. I'm honoured to be of assistance to her."

"Heehee, modest _and_ polite. I'm beginning to like you, Sir Gai'vahros." Giselle began to become quite infatuated with the Blood Knight, despite being a completely different species entirely. It was apparent that she was a great example of someone who could see past a person's looks and see them for who they are. "Listen, I heard that, if they do end up marketing this new line of design in Canterlot, that they'll be making a public advertisement. I'm sure you'll want to get in on the action, right?"

"Oh, that would be splendid." Gai'vahros felt as though he was beginning to fit in with the Equestrian community quite well, even if it was only a small community in Ponyville.

"Great! Since you know Rarity quite well, I'll send her a notice and to let you know about it, too. I must rush, though, I've a train to catch to Canterlot. I hope I'll be seeing more of you soon, sir." Giselle gave a grin and batted her eyes as she strode past Gai'vahros, with Hairy Tipper following behind her.

"Ahah, yeah…" Gai'vahros was more nervous than he was before now, breathing a sigh of relief as she had walked out of earshot. His body was so tense that he still felt like his back was locked into position, having no chance to relax throughout most of that conversation. Giselle's infatuation towards him made the Blood Elf feel uneasy.

"Ah, Gai'vahros," Twilight spoke out as she managed to meet up with the Blood Knight, looking back towards Giselle, who had walked off into the distance north, before turning back to Gai'vahros. "I'm surprised you didn't scare her away, walking up to her like that from out of nowhere. I heard the whole thing from nearby. Sorry for eavesdropping. Uh, are you feeling okay?"

"You said you heard the whole thing, and you still ask me that?" Gai'vahros sounded as though he was completely out of breath. "That was probably the most awkward thing I've been a part of. And I've done a lot of things in my time."

"Oh… yeah, that was pretty hard to watch," Twilight admitted to the Blood Elf. "but I saw Pinkie Pie head towards Sugar Cube Corner while you were, uh, talking with that pony. Come on, I'll take you there."

"Good. Maybe later I was wash my brain out with soapy hot water…"

The two of them left the shop corner and headed towards Sugar Cube Corner, with Gai'vahros following a few feet behind Twilight, not having much motivation to try and keep up with her for the moment after what had just transpired. It didn't take too long though, what with the distance between the shop and Sugar Cube Corner only being a hundred yards or so.

It seemed that the more things Gai'vahros was seeing, the weirder it was to him each time. In front of him stood a large building, at least four stories high, that reminded the Blood Elf of a huge sponge cake. The main bulk of the building looked like a thatched roof cottage, only the roof looked like it was made of chocolate with icing around the edges. The walls were of a cream coloured plaster with light brown wooden trimming. A couple of windows sat on each side of the pink front door with rose-tinted glass. Above the door was a small arch supported by two columns that looked exactly like pink striped candy canes. The top of the roof had a two storey tower that looked like two cupcakes atop one another, with three lamp posts on top in the style of candles.

"This is truly, uh, awe-inspiring, to say the least," Gai'vahros tried not to offend Twilight by his use of words, and so opted to sugar-coat it, as it were. "I must admit that every building I've seen looks completely vivid to me, but this takes the cake. Uh, no pun intended."

"I think it looks rather fitting," Twilight responded, giving compliments to its architecture. "this is a bakery, after all. I think its looks gives the place a nice, bubbly charm. Don't you agree, Gai'vahros?"

"Now that you put it that way, I guess-"

"HEYA!" Suddenly, from the left side of Gai'vahros, a loud, high pitched voiced bellowed into his huge ear, causing the Blood Elf to stagger sideward and nearly tripping over his own feet. "Oh, hey, a clown! I love clowns! You gonna tell a joke? Oooooh, no, make a balloon animal!"

"First a hedgehog, now a clown…" Gai'vahros muttered under his breath as he turned to look at the one who almost burst his eardrum. The pony was a neutral pink colour, with thick, curly hair of an even hotter shade of pink. Her eyes shone a bright aqua blue. The Blood Elf was able to make out her cutie mark - three balloons adorned her flank, one yellow and two blue. "Lady Twilight, is this… your friend?" Gai'vahros felt he didn't need to ask; a pink pony called "Pinkie Pie" made a lot of sense to him, at least more so than the chocolate sponge cake bakery.

"Yeah, she can be a little… crazy." Twilight leaned up to Gai'vahros to whisper into his ear.

"Oh, hey, Twilight," Pinkie Pie said cheerfully, bouncing up and down on all fours before bouncing towards the Elf and the unicorn. "did you come to see the clown make balloon animals, too?"

"Pinkie, this isn't a clown," Twilight began to explain to Pinkie. Whether or not it would be much good, even Twilight didn't know. "This is Gai'vahros. He's from another world from ours."

"Oh my gosh, another world!?" Pinkie stopped in a frozen position, her eyes widening as she glanced at Twilight, then to Gai'vahros, then back to Twilight. "… do you think he's here to eat our brains…?" Pinkie leaned forwards to whisper into Twilights ear before shifting her gaze to the Blood Elf.

"Uh, no, Pinkie. He ended up here by accident. He's a knight in his world and we're looking after him until we can find a way to take him back."

"Oooooh, a knight? Well WHY didn't YOU say so!?" Pinkie Pie jumped as she yelled out, a huge smile sprawled across her face as she dashed over to Gai'vahros, turning him around so he was facing her before she began staring at him. It was as though the pony became a living statue, not moving, probably not even breathing. Just staring at him.

"…" Gai'vahros paused in a fixated position, staring back at Pinkie Pie like they were having a staring contest.

"…"

"…uh, may I ask what you are doing…?"

"Well, DUH, I'm inspecting your gear! Oh, and your spec!"

"… my gear? And my "spec"?"

"Yup!"

"… Lady Twilight… help me… it's like she's staring into my soul…"

Twilight gave a soft sigh as she walked over to Pinkie Pie, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Pinkie, uh, we really wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh! Okay!" Pinkie halted her staring, much to the absolute relief of the Blood Elf. "So whatchya wanna talk about, Twilight?"

"Well, we were all going to go on a camping trip in the forests this evening for a couple of days, you know, so we can all get to know Gai'vahros better. We were wondering if you wanted to come along with us?"

"Oooooh, I like camping! Almost as much as I love parties! No, wait, no, that's not right; I like crumpets as much as I like parties! Oh, unless there's crumpets at the party, then it's an AWESOME party! Will there be crumpets when we go camping?"

"Uh… sure, Pinkie…"

"So, Gai, you're coming, too? Mind if I call you "Guy"? How about "Vah"? Maybe "Ross"? Oooooh, no, how about "Guyvah"? Or maybe just… "Gah"?"

"U-uh, "Guy" will be more than acceptable," the Blood Elf was still incredibly uncomfortable around Pinkie Pie, but he knew that she was a close friend of Twilight's so he had to try and make the most of it.

"Oh, okay, Gai. I'll see you later! Bring crumpets, too!" Pinkie Pie gave a rather bellowing farewell, hopping down the street around the corner from Sugar Cube Corner.

"Selama Ashal'anore," Gai'vahros gave a heavy sigh as he wiped his brow with the back of his head. "for a moment there, I thought she was trying to make my heart explode. With her eyes."

"Oh, don't worry, Gai'vahros," Twilight said with a small giggle, trying to reassure the Blood Elf, not that it was going to work. "that's just Pinkie Pie being, well, Pinkie Pie. I guess now we'll have to see if Rarity wants to come, too. Oh, oh no, I forgot to put that down on my schedule!"

"Ah, don't worry about the schedule, my Lady Twilight," Gai'vahros reassured her, comforting her in her worry about losing track of time. "we've got plenty of time to do that before we start packing, right?"

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry for being such a worry-wart."

"No need to apologize. Oh, actually, isn't Lady Rainbow Dash meant to be meeting up with us here?"

"Someone mention my name?" A voice came from behind the both of them. Rainbow Dash hovered only a few meters from their position, holding around her body a large backpack, likely filled with camping equipment. "So, Gai, did ya meet up with Pinkie Pie? I bet you have a blast, right?"

"Yeah… you could say something like that…"


	15. New Friends, Chapter 14

The skies began to become much clearer now, with the clouds in retreat or dispersing into the four winds. Thin veils of cotton were all that remained in the open air, though that only made more room for the golden sun to shine upon Ponyville. There wasn't much of a breeze either, much like earlier in the day. The air felt still and stagnant though there was still a feel of coolness in it, although it would also be contrasted by the warmth of the sun upon the horizon.

Gai'vahros began to feel a bit dizzy, going back and forth from place to place as though he was just running around in circles. At this point, it wasn't exactly far from the truth. The Blood Elf, Twilight and Rainbow Dash had made their way back over the southern-most bridge towards the Carousel Boutique, Rarity's home and workplace, in order to try and get Rarity to join them on their camping trip.

"Come on, Twilight," Rainbow Dash called to Twilight, who was walking a few feet in front of the pegasus, as she tagged along from behind a few feet off the ground. "you honestly think that Rarity, or all ponies, will wanna come camping? You know what she's like."

"Well, there's no harm in trying, right?" Twilight replied in a manner of defence for Rarity. "Besides, it's not like I can just leave Rarity out of this. She'll be more upset if I didn't ask her than suggesting the idea to her."

"Oh? Why won't she want to join us?" Gai'vahros opened the question for one of the two ponies to answer. He wasn't well versed in Rarity's preferences and, thus, couldn't understand why she wouldn't want to come.

"Because little miss prissy-pants doesn't like getting her hooves dirty," Rainbow Dash replied in a somewhat callous tone, though it was more of a joke than an insult. "she'd much rather relax in her room with all of her clothes and perfumes, where everything is all clean and tidy and stuff."

"I'm sure she'll come with us," Twilight spoke up in positivity as the three of them made their way over the bridge, "with the rest of us going I think she'll be more inclined to join us."

It didn't take too long before the trio made their way to the front of Carousel Boutique. For a moment they all stopped to notice any sign of life coming from the building to make sure that Rarity was in before knocking. Some sounds could be heard coming from the ground floor, though the most prevalent of these was a sewing machine, something that Gai'vahros began to mistake for an engineer's working station.

Twilight walked up to the front door and, strongly, knocked a few times upon its hard wooden surface. "Rarity, are you home?" Twilight called out although it was pretty obvious to the lot of them that she was. The sound of machinery came to a halt.

"Oh, Twilight," A glamorous and joyful voice called out, although it was muffled what with a door being between them. "I'll be with you in just a moment, dear!" The white unicorn quickly hopped off the stool she was on and trotted to the front door, opening it to see the faces of Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Gai'vahros. "Good morning! I see you brought your little friend as well. Oh, and Rainbow Dash."

"H-hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, an agitated look upon her face as she looked down at Rarity.

"Why, nothing at all, Rainbow Dash, dear." Rarity replied with a smile on her face, although it was likely in satirical humour at the pegasus' response. Turning back to her machine, she trotted across the room before taking a seat back on the stool. "So what brings you all here so early?"

"We came to ask if you wanted to come camping with us, Rarity," Twilight answered in a calm tone, as though she was expecting to say 'yes'. "Everyone's gonna be there."

"C-c-camping? You must be joking," Rarity spoke in a shrill voice, "I absolutely can NOT risk to get my hooves dirty. Do you know what kind of bacteria thrive in the wild!?"

"Hey, did someone say "Camping"?" A little, tiny voice came from the stairway. A little filly, the same size as Apple Bloom, came down the stairs as soon as the word 'camping' was mentioned. The filly has a snow white coat and pale green eyes, with a thick, curly mane of lavender and rose pink. She looked towards the ground, taking a keen notice of Gai'vahros in particular. "Hi, Twilight. Hi, Rainbow Dash. Uh, hi… hedgehog."

"Sweetie Belle, don't be so rude," Rarity scolded her little sister for referring to Gai'vahros in an uncouth manner. "this here is Gai'vahros. He's the one who gave me inspiration to make this dress design."

"Ah, so it WAS you who made that red and purple dress I saw earlier today?" Gai'vahros spoke up; it was the reason he wanted to speak to Rarity, after all.

"You mean, someone has already bought my dress!?" Rarity exclaimed as she pressed her fore-hooves into her cheeks. "Well, this is ab-so-lute-ly WONDERFUL! I have to keep working so I can keep up with demands! Oh, I'm so sorry, where are my manners? Gai'vahros, this is Sweetie Belle - my little sister."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, little Sweetie Bell," Gai'vahros said with a smile on his face, offering the filly a small bow. "I wasn't aware Lady Rarity had a little sister. I never got the chance to meet you yesterday."

"Heehee, that's because I was at the clubhouse with Scootaloo all day yesterday," Sweetie Belle replied with a cheerful look on her face, though it quickly turned into an expression of confusion. "but, I didn't see Apple Bloom all day, either. Is she sick?"

"Oh, no, no, nothing like that," Gai'vahros assured the little filly that Apple Bloom was okay. "she was with me and Twilight for most of the day, but she got grounded for being outside of the village without supervision."

"O-oh… that's my fault," Sweetie Belle mumbled her words although they were still audible to everyone in the room. "me and Scootaloo were trying to make jewellery and, well, we asked Apple Bloom to look for some gems while we were getting the metalwork done. I'm sorry we caused so much trouble…"

"Hey, it's okay," Gai'vahros walked over to Sweetie Belle and kneeled down, comforting her by petting her head with a silk hand. "it's not like you put your friend in danger or anything. You couldn't have known she'd get in trouble, right?"

"Yeah… you're right, I guess…"

"Good. Anyway, Lady Applejack and little Apple Bloom will be coming with us as well, so you can talk to her then. Oh, that's right, Lady Rarity, why don't you come with us? I'm sure your adoring fans can wait a few days before getting their dresses. Exactly how many have you made already?"

"Oh, not a lot, dear," Rarity replied, "only a hundred and fifty seven. No, eight, a hundred and fifty eight."

"… a hundred… and fifty eight…? I-I'm quite sure that will be enough to tide your customers over for a few days while we're out."

"Well, yes, but I refuse to go camping! It's all dirty, and wet, and filled with itsy, bitsy, squishy creepy-crawlies out there! Gosh, it's mortifying even thinking about setting one hoof in the forest!"

"Awwwww, but Rarity, I wanna go camping," Sweetie Belle looked up to Rarity with a sad expression on her face. "and we can spend lots of sisterly time together!"

"Absolutely not, Sweetie Belle!"

"Pleaaaaase?" the little filly moved her head closer, her eyes swelling up like a little puppy dog's. The notion began to make Rarity more inclined, soothing her displeasure at such a trip.

"Oh… oh, alright," Rarity accepted the offer, albeit still rather reluctantly, putting a foreleg around her little sister and holding her close. The two of them gave a little smile at one another before Rarity turned her attention to her guests. "I guess I can take a little break, what with working on new designs all week."

"Awesome," Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pumping her hoof into the air. "Hey, if Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are coming along, we'd better bring Scootaloo with us, too."

"Yeah," Sweetie Belle responded, rushing to the front door. "I'll go tell Scootaloo right away! Cutie Mark Crusader's camping trip!" the filly rushed out the front door as she yelled a powerful cry.

"Uh… "Cutie Mark Crusaders"?" Gai'vahros opened the floor for any response for his question.

"Uh, we'll let them explain when we go camping," Twilight responded, "so that's everyone, right? Me, Gai'vahros, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo…"

"I'm pretty sure that's everyone, Twi," Rainbow Dash assured her friend that the entire roster was accounted for. "so, shall we head back to yours and get everything packed?"

"Oh! Oh!" Sweetie Belle began to bellow as though she had just remembered something, or had a good idea. "That reminds me, I found something outside the clubhouse! Be right back, I'll go get it!"

"Oh, Sweetie Belle," Rarity had a rather disappointed tone in her voice, rolling her eyes as her little sister ran back up the stairs. "I told her to take that thing to the guards so they can handle it."

"Handle what, Rarity?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, Sweetie Bell found some crummy, dirty, battered old rucksack outside her clubhouse. She thought she'd bring it back here just in case it belonged to anyone. It kind of reminds me of Applejack's hat, actually. Well, minus the crummy, dirty, battered part."

"Here it is," Sweetie Belle cried after galloping down the stairs, with the top handle of the backpack held in her mouth. The filly placed it down on the ground where it stood upright almost without any sag, as though it was held up by a large amount of densely-packed objects. "So, uh, does this belong to anyone?"

"Wait, hold on," Gai'vahros exclaimed in a surprised manner, his eyes lit up upon seeing the old tan rucksack. Swiftly he moved from the doorway to where Sweetie Belle was and kneeled down. He placed his hands over it, feeling the rough and frayed linen upon his fingers. "This is my rucksack! Oh, thank you so much, little Sweetie Belle!" The little filly giggled and blushed cherry as the Blood Elf looked up with the biggest smile on his face. Quickly he unclipped the buckle on the front and lifted the flap. Everything that he had missing was in here - his hearth stone, jeweller's kit, pickaxe - everything that he had brought with him was all here, including a few change of clothes.

"Oh, I'm so relieved, Gai'vahros," Twilight exclaimed in a sigh of relief, heading over to him. "Is that everything?"

"I'm afraid not," Gai'vahros replied as he placed his hand down near the bottom of the rucksack, pulling out a large, hand-sized stone of pearl white with a single engraved rune. "My hearth stone seems to be out of power. I was hoping to use it to return back home, but, I guess the magic infused into it doesn't work here."

"Oh… I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, my Lady Twilight, don't be absurd. I wouldn't return home yet, anyway; I'm still missing my arms."

"But, they're right there." Sweetie Belle said as she placed her hooves on his forearms, oblivious to the fact that he wasn't referring to that kind of 'arms'.

"Haha, no, not those kind of arms," Gai'vahros chuckled as he took the filly's forelegs into his hands and placed them back on the ground. "I'm talking about my weapons. They weren't in my backpack, so I'm thinking they were probably scattered elsewhere."

"Hey, you never know, Gai," Rainbow Dash tried to cheer up the otherwise visibly disappointed Blood Elf, flying over to him and placing a hoof on his shoulder. "we might find them when we go camping. How about we go south to near where you fell; one of them is bound to turn up near there, right?"

"You make a good point, my Lady Rainbow Dash, but I doubt it's as easy as that. Still, that's the best idea we've got so far. So, camping to the south it is?"

"Sounds great," Twilight nodded in agreement as Gai'vahros stood back up, slinging his backpack over his shoulders. "Well, we've still got plenty of time. So, how about we set off at four o'clock?"

"Sounds fabulous," Rarity agreed cheerfully, though she seemed that her joy was directed to her pattern cutting rather than the trip. "that'll give me enough time to reach two hundred dresses in total."

"Perfect. Well, see you all in a few hours time, then!" Twilight gave her goodbyes, as did Rainbow Dash and Gai'vahros in their own way before making their way out of the door. "Gai'vahros, you seem to keep playing with that little box in your hand. Is it something important?"

"Oh, this?" Gai'vahros replied, holding his hand still so he could show the two ponies as he began to explain. "No, it's not overly important. This is a jeweller's kit; this has all the tools I need in order to cut gemstones and "empower" them, so to speak."

"Huh? To "empower" them?" Rainbow Dash was confused as she flew a little closer to inspect the intricate box. "You can infuse magic into gems?"

"In a sense. Allow me to explain," Gai'vahros held the box in front of both ponies so they could see better. The box was as large as the Blood Elf's open palm and a few inches high, made of solid wood that wasn't like anything found on Equestria. The box was a dark mahogany colour though there was hints of a lighter shade similar to Birchwood. Metal trimmings and livery lined the edges and corners of the box in bright gold that shined with great clarity in the sun. Gai'vahros placed his index finger on a small clasp on the front of the lid, which then slowly sprung open on two circular hinges on the sides, revealing a small mirror on the underside of the lid and various tools inside the box' main body, including a set of small side cutters, various different pliers, a small hammer, a felt cloth, a small whetstone, and a straight edge blade. "Jewelcrafters have a kit that contains all the essential tools for cutting gems. They can be cut to any shape or size - it doesn't affect our ability to empower gems. Once the gem is cut, we can use our knowledge as Jewelcrafters to give the gem a certain quality that affects the wearer or holder."

"You mean, you can make jewellery and give them a certain power?" Twilight asked, but she tried to hold back her enthusiasm. She began to think back to another set of jewellery that had certain kinds of powers.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Gai'vahros replied, clothing the jewellery kit with his thumb. "we can bestow certain enhancements to certain gems depending on their colour. For example, Jewelcrafters can empower rubies and other red gems to grant their holder extra strength of agility, or empower blue gems with the power to give the holder increased stamina. Gems that have the colour of two gems can benefit from both powers but at a smaller rate. An example would be that we can empower a purple gem - a colour comprised of red and blue - with both strength and stamina, but not as much as a gem that is a prime colour."

"That's… amazing, Gai'vahros," Twilight was astonished that something like that could exist outside of the Elements of Harmony. "Is that why you asked rarity for a gem? So you could cut it for her and empower it for her?"

"Yeah, that's right." Gai'vahros blushed a little with a smile on his face.

"I just hope that Spike hasn't… uh… oh no…"

"Spike hasn't… No. Nooooooooo!" Gai'vahros yelled out as he clutched the jewellery kit in his hand, sprinting off over the bridge as Twilight and Rainbow Dash followed close by. "If that dragon's eaten it, I'll gut him like a Murloc!"


	16. New Friends, Chapter 15

Back at the Golden Oaks Library, there didn't seem to be much commotion as there was a few hours ago. The town square was a lot quieter than it was in the early morning, although this was likely due to most of the ponies doing their early shopping while others were heading off to their workplace. Still, there were little scatters of pony-folk who still hung around the streets, providing the atmosphere with a sociable vibe, idly talking amongst their peers as the day went by.

Inside was much more of a different story. The air wasn't filled by the noise of small talk and conversations, but rather the clattering of kitchen utensils. The library had a scattering of various sacks and cartons, ranging from flour, milk, sugar, cinnamon and other ingredients generally used for baking. Whoever was utilising these ingredients was making a messy job of it - the sack of flour was almost completely on its side, allowing the contents to spill lightly on the floor, while the tablespoon used for measuring the sugar was on the floor, away from the sugar container.

"Oooooh, I can't wait to try this," Spike spoke to himself in utter excitement. The little dragon was holding a large glass bowl in one hand while stirring the mixture inside it with a long wooden spoon. He kept his eyes on a cook book in front of him, showing the recipe of a large two-tiered cake. "and I really can't wait to see what you taste like!" Spike shifted his head from the cook book and instead looked at a large diamond sitting on the table beside him. For a moment, the dragon began to drool but quickly composed himself; he didn't want any drool in his cake batter.

Spike paused for a moment and let go of the spoon, letting it fall to one side of the bowl. Reaching out, he picked up the diamond and held it close to his face. He marvelled at its utmost perfect clarity, as though it was made out of glass, but it was in his draconic instincts that he knew that this was the greatest of all gemstones. He began to turn his hand to see the light refract through its faces, causing it to give off a rainbow-like projection of light as it passed through. "Oh gosh, I just can't wait to taste you," at this point, Spike was all but possessed by his lust for the gem. "maybe… maybe one little bite will be okay…"

Suddenly, a huge crash came from the front of the library. The door swung wide open, revealing a mortified Gai'vahros, panting heavily as he tried to get his breath back from sprinting half the length of the village to get back here as quickly as he could. "Stop right there!" Gai'vahros yelled out, his arm stretched and pointed at the little dragon, who was still holding the diamond close to his mouth. "I can't let you do that, Spike!"

"W-what? But I'm making a cake!" Spike cried out but it was of no use. Gai'vahros began to run across the room, leaping over the table where everything that Spike was using sat, knocking over the cook book and pouncing on the baby dragon. The poor dragon fell backwards, flinging both the diamond and his mixture into the air. "N-no! My cake!"

"Ah! My diamond!" Gai'vahros looked up in shock as he saw the gem fly towards the center of the room. As quickly as he could he tried to scramble to his feet, but with a small soft dragon underneath him he found it difficult to try and get up without stomping on him. In desperation, the Blood Elf scrambled only to one foot and, with all the strength he could muster, pushed off his strong leg and made a dive for the diamond. Landing belly-first on the tree trunk table in front of him, he stretched out his hand as the diamond fell, managing to grasp it. "Haha! I've got-" without a moment's pause, so did Gai'vahros catch the bowl of cake batter, except the wrong way up, and on the top of his head. "…it…"

"Gai'vahros! Are you okay?" A voice called out from the side of the Blood Elf. Twilight rushed in through the door, but ended up looking more at the scenery than at the humiliated Gai'vahros. "Wha… what happened in here?" Twilight was speechless as she found parts of the library covered in white powder, with a few pieces of furniture knocked over and her assistant knocked prone.

At almost as soon as Twilight spoke, Rainbow Dash turns up just outside the doorway, looking around before bellowing a huge fit of laughter, holding her stomach. "Haha! Gai, what're you doin' with a bowl on your head?" the pegasus didn't know what was funnier - the image of seeing an awesome knight slumped over a stump with a bowl on his head, or the fact that cake batter was dripping down his face and shoulders.

"HE'S what happened, Twilight," Spike got up, visibly frustrated at Gai'vahros, a small clawed finger pointing towards the slumped Elf. "I was making a jewel cake and then he comes busting in, yelling at me, and then pounces on me!"

"And, not a moment too soon," Gai'vahros finally gained composure as he pushed himself off the stump with his free hand, still holding the diamond in the other. Taking the bowl off his head, he felt a shiver down his spine as he began to feel the cold cake batter drip over his forehead and seep through his hair, onto his scalp. "Ugh… my hair… twice in two days…"

Twilight, however, felt more sorry for the distraught Blood Elf than she did for her favourite assistant. Walking over the Gai'vahros, she gave a soft sigh as she picked the diamond from his hands with her magic. "Spike, this jewel isn't for you," the unicorn said in a disappointed tone towards Spike, making her way over to a nearby desk and setting it down. "Rarity gave this Gai'vahros, so he can cut it for her."

"R-Rarity gave it… to Gai…?" Spike muttered quietly. Inside he could feel his heart began to crack, distraught that she would give something so amazing to a guy she'd only know for a day at the time. "But, what was it doing in my bag?" the dragon asked with a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean "in your bag"?" Twilight responded, equally baffled as to what Spike was yammering about. "The diamond was in the bag I took yesterday, along with those bottles of lotion for Rarity."

"But, Twilight, your bag was here all day hanging over there." Spike pointed to a small coat hanger fixed onto the wall, holding a small beige satchel with two books inside.

"O-oh… I must have taken your bag by accident, Spike. I was wondering why there were so many sheets of paper inside it, though I thought they were just notes." Twilight sighed as she walked over to Spike, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, Spike. It was because of my rushing around that all this happened."

"It's no big deal, Twilight," Spike said as he hugged Twilight's leg. "I just wish I got to taste that awesome diamond."

"Oh, don't worry, little Spike," Gai'vahros spoke up in a more relaxed manner, using a spray bottle in his backpack to get most of the mixture out of his locks and off his face. "you can still make that jewel cake of yours when I'm finished with the diamond."

"Y-you really mean it!?" Spike exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the thought of having his diamond jewel cake.

"Sure. When jewel-cutting, there's always going to be shavings that are usually discarded or cut into smaller gems. Whatever shavings I don't need, you can have, okay?"

"Chyeah that's okay," Spike jumped with joy as he could finally get to make his cake. "Thanks so much, Gai, you're the best! Well, Twilight's the best, naturally, but you're definitely a close second!"

"My pleasure. But, I think we'd better tidy up. After that, I could do with a bath…"

The group were more than capable of revitalising the library within an hour or so. Twilight began to use her magic in order to put some of the books back on the shelf which had been knocked from their places during Spike and Gai'vahros' scuffle. Rainbow Dash used her powerful wings to create small gusts of wind to blow the clouds of dust and smoke from the flour out of the windows. Spike was occupied with the washing up and replacing all of the things that he had taken out when he was making his cake. Lastly, Gai'vahros helped out my wiping down and generally cleaning the floors, desks and walls of any dirt and stains, all the while mumbling about the cake batter drying in his hair.

"Whew," Twilight wiped her brow with a hoof, looking around as to how much cleaner the place looked. "I thought it would take a lot longer than that."

"Pfft, if I was on my own I coulda got this all done in ten second, flat!" Rainbow Dash scoffed at Twilight's remark, crossing her forelegs over her chest.

"And you probably would have blown all the books and furniture out the window, too," Gai'vahros made a little quip, following by a humoured laugh. Twilight and Spike joined in with the laughter, while Rainbow Dash turned her head to the side and huffed. "but I must insist I go take a bath or something."

"Ah, I know just the place." Twilight said, with a smile on her face.

A half an hour later, Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Spike found themselves laying on long, silken masseuse beds, each one laying on their backs as they began to relax, settling themselves in. A few spa ponies were available to the trio, offering their services should any of them require them.

"Ah, it's been a long while since I've had the chance to relax like this," Twilight cooed as she rolled over onto her side, looking at Rainbow Dash. "don't you think this is great, Rainbow Dash?"

"Well yeah," Rainbow Dash said in a rather reluctant voice, though she kept eyeing one of the spa ponies. "but she keeps coming over here with that file, like she wants to give me a hooficure or something."

"Well of course she is; you agreed to have the 'small package'. That's a massage, hot bath and hooficure. It's not like anyone comes into the spa for a small package and not get a hooficure."

"Well I didn't know what I was getting," Rainbow Dash snapped back at the relaxed unicorn. Stretching her wings a little, she rolled over to the other side and watched one of the doorways at the back of the spa. "speaking of which, when is Gai gonna finish in their? It doesn't take this long to get changed, right?"

"I don't know, Rainbow Dash. I mean, I would think taking off those clothes and armor would take some time. Probably not twenty minutes, but still."

"Hey, Gai," Rainbow Dash called over to the dressing room, "you done in there yet?" Rainbow Dash was expecting a quick reply, but after waiting for a moment there was no such thing. The pegasus instead turned to one of the nearby spa ponies. "Uh, excuse me?"

"Oh, miss, you would like that hooficure, now?" a pink spa pony with bright blue eyes answered Rainbow Dash, holding a file between her teeth.

"Uh, no, no thanks," Rainbow Dash declined as she shifted her rear legs away from the spa pony. "could you, uh, check on our friend?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," the spa pony apologized, hoping that it wouldn't offend Rainbow Dash. "your friend said he was going to be a while and… uh, he asked that we don't check in on him while he's changing."

"Aw, man," Rainbow Dash moaned as she hit her back against the soft pillow of the bed. "How long is he gonna be!?"

Just at that moment, the door slowly began to open, causing everyone within the spa to turn around. Even the customers who had been here before the gang's arrival, who had noticed Gai'vahros as well, turned in anticipation to see the Blood Elf make his entrance. After a brief pause, Gai'vahros poked his head around the door and put one leg out. Even though Gai'vahros was used to being bare around Twilight, he wasn't comfortable being stark naked, minus a long bath towel around his waist that hung to his ankles, around a huge crowd. The more he looked, the more faces he counted; around fifteen ponies, all with their eyes on him. Standing tall and with a huge blush on his face, Gai'vahros stepped out fully. His body toned, showing off his musculature, began to make many of the ponies blush, Rainbow Dash included.

"Anar'alah, this is so embarrassing…" Gai'vahros mumbled to himself. He began to walk over to the nearby hot tub before being intercepted by a spa pony.

"Oh, sir, I'm glad everything is in order," the pony spoke, smiling as she looked up to the Blood Elf. However, she was unable to take her eyes off him for a moment. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"O-oh, no thank you," Gai'vahros replied with an awkward smile on his face. He just wanted to quickly get into the bath, wash himself down, and get out of there. "I appreciate the hospitality." The spa pony gave a little nod as she went about her business again.

"Why are you wearing that towel, Gai'vahros?" Twilight called out. It was strange to her that the Blood Elf would need a towel, considering he was only going to have a bath.

"W-why, because… because I'm cold," Gai'vahros quickly replied with an excuse, "I don't have a fur coat to keep me warm like you ponies do."

"Hey, Gai," Rainbow Dash said, watching the Blood Elf move across the room. "you do know you're gonna have to take that towel off before you get in the bath, right?"

It was as if time had stopped for the Blood Elf. Rainbow Dash' words began to seep into his mind; he did, indeed, need to take off that robe. Gai'vahros froze in place, his eyes shifting to Rainbow Dash as her and Twilight kept gazing at him. The longer they stared, the more nervous he got. Thankfully, all of the other customers had gotten over the novelty of seeing an Elf in their spa, so they weren't paying him much attention.

'My god, I completely didn't think that through!' Gai'vahros thought to himself, making his way up the steps to the bath. Quickly, he looked around but, like a rock star on center stage, he was the most noticeable person in the spa, standing on the highest elevation in the building beside the huge tub. Now, all eyes were on him. Quickly, without thought, the Blood Elf hopped over the side and landed feet first into the tub while still wearing the bath towel. The ponies looked on in confusion as he vaulted over the edge still in the towel, and watched as the Blood Elf took the towel out of the water and set it on the floor beside him. "Ah, that was easy enough…" Gai'vahros murmured to himself with a smile on his face, leaning back against the side with his arms draped over it.

"Gai'vahros, you're supposed to remove the towel BEFORE getting into the bath," Twilight yelled out across the room, feeling embarrassed that he did such a thing. "Isn't that how you do things in your world, too?"

"Oh… uh, no, we don't do that in our world," Gai'vahros replied with an uneasy smile while dipping his head into the water, wetting it and rinsing his hair out for any dried cake mixture. "It's considered polite to not show your naked body to other people, so we remove our towels after getting into a bath."

"Yeah, right, I bet he's hiding something," Rainbow Dash called out Gai'vahros on his bluff, who only responded with a small blush, though it was hidden behind his long locks of hair. "Doesn't matter anyway; he still has to try and get out of the tub without a towel now."

Gai'vahros looked up at the pony, and then looked over the side of the tub. Trying to lean over the edge, Gai'vahros extended his arm to try and reach the towel, but it was too far for him to grab without standing up. Naturally, he couldn't afford to do that.

"There's always something in a plan that has to go wrong…"


	17. New Friends, Chapter 16

By the time the group had got out of the day spa, a gentle breeze rolled over the town as it passed through pony and structure alike. It felt cool, refreshing, and pampering to the touch. It felt even better as the gentle warmth of the sun bathed those in its presence, making the coolness of the wind that much more pleasant. Along the ground, the fields of grass and the families of flowers swayed and waltzed as they were softly nudged by the breeze.

It seemed that most of the crowd had cleared away from the town center, despite being greatly active some time before. There was still a handful of pony-folk taking strolls through the village although there was much of a rush as before. Everything looked a lot more peaceful, quiet, calm, and relaxed.

"C'mon Gai, I just wanna know what you're hiding," A powerful voice exclaimed. As the group walked back towards the library, Rainbow Dash was hovering in front of Gai'vahros, trying to peak down his outfit. "why else would ya try so darn hard to pick that towel up without standing up?"

"L-look, it's nothing, really," Gai'vahros stammered, rather irate at the pegasus' constant persistence at trying to get the information she wanted out of him. "Like I said, it's rude for people like us to show our naked bodies to others."

"Chyeah, but you're not on your world anymore, are ya? And neither are you getting naked in front of other people like you! I mean, look at us. We don't wear dresses and shoes all the time, do we?"

"That's different, my Lady Rainbow Dash; it's only natural for ponies to wander around without clothing. For us it's more… delicate than that."

Twilight, however, shook her head and sighed, mainly at Rainbow Dash' persistence but also at Gai'vahros' secrecy to which she couldn't understand. "Well, in Gai'vahros' defence, Rainbow Dash, you did jump into the bath with him and try to look under the water."

"Hey, I didn't know he was gonna kick me!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she prodded Gai'vahros in the cheek with her fore-hoof.

"I told you that was a natural reflex," Gai'vahros pleaded with the pegasus, "It's not normal for a person, or pony, to just try and look… there. It's a delicate matter, so to speak."

Eventually, after their bickering from one person to another, the group finally made their way back to the library. The place was amazingly quiet, which was quite a surprise to Spike and Twilight. Usually there was some kind of noise coming from the building, be it the sound of shuffling books, papers, equipment, or Spike snoring during one of his midday naps. There was only the calm sound of silence.

Twilight made her way to the front of the door as the rest hung back to allow her through. With a hoof she slowly opened the door as though she was expecting to see something, something gone horribly wrong as they were out for several hours. To the unicorn's relief, nothing was out of place. "Good, everything's still here." Twilight spoke to herself as if to reassure herself that everything was fine.

"You have troubles with break-ins, my Lady Twilight?" Gai'vahros asked in concern, looking around to make sure nothing was missing or out of place to the best of his knowledge. "I can't think of anything that anyone would want to steal from a library that they couldn't just borrow."

"Nah, that's just Twilight being a worrier again," Rainbow Dash huffed, "she's always got her mind on this place if she leaves it for too long without anyone looking after it."

"Oh, my Lady Twilight, I didn't think you were one for martial prowess," Gai'vahros smiled at the unicorn, feeling a greater deal of respect for her considering her already established magical prowess, too. "but I've never seen you carry a sword before."

"No, Gai'vahros, 'worrier', not 'warrior'," Twilight was quick to correct the Blood Elf, not wanting him to get the idea that she's a violent pony. "but Rainbow Dash is right. I do tend to worry too much about things."

"Ah, but that's just who you are," Gai'vahros placed his hand on the unicorn's head and petted her a little. "that's just a reason why you have so many friends. No need to regret having such a trait, my Lady Twilight."

"Thanks, Gai'vahros. Oh, by the way, what times is it?"

"Oh, it's… ten past twelve," Rainbow Dash said as she turned to the clock that hung only a few feet away from her before turning back to Twilight. "see? I told ya we'd have plenty of time! No need for schedules and time tables and all that work stuff."

"So what're we gonna do for four hours?" Spike asked, though he meant it in a rhetorical manner. The little dragon made his way to one of the desks nearby the window, taking a seat. "We ain't gonna leave until four o'clock, right?"

"Well we still need to get ready, right?" Twilight responded, using her horn to pick up her satchel, the right satchel this time, and emptying the contents onto the table next to her. Despite being such a small bag it held a lot of things. Out from its seemingly bottomless depth were several papers, and ink well, a quill pen, a few strong glass bottles, two books and a long piece of parchment. "I just hope I can make enough room for all the things I need."

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash looked over at the unicorn, who was starting to group everything in separate piles. "You only need a sleeping bag, Twilight. Don't tell me you plan on doing work while we're supposed to be, y'know, RELAXING."

"Hey, I can't neglect my work even when I'm out, right?"

"No, no, this will not do," Gai'vahros tutted, making his way over to the table where Twilight began shifting things around. Reaching up to where the bag hovered in the air, Gai'vahros snatched it and, with his other arm, swept all of the content into the bag before tossing it back onto the coat rack. "I can't let you do that, Lady Twilight."

"Hey! What're you- give me my bag back!" Twilight yelled at the Blood Elf.

"I won't allow you to work while we camp, my Lady Twilight."

"Just watch!" Twilight exclaimed in hostility towards Gai'vahros, and ended up trying to walk around and past him. However, before her head could pass by, the Blood Elf extended his arm out and blocked her. A bit irate, she gave a low growl before trying to duck under him arm, which was only met by him lowering it. "Gai'vahros, this is important!"

"More important than spending time with your friends, Twilight?"

Twilight wanted to speak, but she really had no answer. Her expression wasn't as angry as before, but she still felt some animosity towards the Elf for telling her what to do. But, as she thought about it, he was right. Spending time with her friends was, indeed, more important to her than doing some research. Research could wait, after all. Ponies get impatient. "… Yeah, you're right," Twilight looked towards Rainbow Dash and Spike, who in return were in awe at seeing Gai'vahros' capricious nature. After a moment, so did Twilight. "Gai'vahros, you didn't call me "lady"."

"You're right," Gai'vahros answered in a soft, brooding tone. He turned away, noticing that he had left his backpack on the tree trunk table in the center of the room. The Blood Elf opened the main section to make sure nothing was taken while he was out. "that's because you weren't acting like a lady."

"I… I'm sorry. I guess friendship is a high regard for you?"

"On the contrary, my Lady Twilight; where I come from there is no need for friends. Or, rather, the concept of 'friends' is more in line of 'comrades'. In the art of war there are no friends, only allies. Allies can become enemies in an instant, and you wouldn't even realise it until they stab you through the heart."

"T-That's terrible," Rainbow Dash was almost physically hurt from hearing of such a thing. She understood that friendships could end, sure enough, but she couldn't begin to conceive the idea that it could turn to violence. "how could something like that happen?"

"I guess you don't have much issues with war here. It's very simple; two guys could be comrades-in-arms, working alongside each other to a common goal. But, at times, they're peoples, their nations, could be at war with each other. At the end of the day, they must then choose whether to forsake their families, their kin, and their homeland… or to forsake their friendship."

"But, what about friends of your own kind, Gai," Spike asked. The little dragon knew what it was like to live outside of his own species. "don't you have any friends back home?"

"No. When you do what I do -adventuring, seeing new places, meeting new people - you don't have time to make new friends. And, those who you do make friends with, usually end up dead in the midst of conflict. For me, I'm better off not making friends than to lose them."

"But, we're your friends, right?" Rainbow Dash swooped towards the rather melancholic Blood Elf, wrapping a foreleg around his shoulder and pressing her body against his shoulder. The pegasus gave a big smile, but Gai'vahros did not return the sentiment, or even gave her his visible attention. "…Right?"

Gai'vahros paused for a moment. His hands stopped, motionless, as he held the bag open with two hands gripped lightly around the edges of the opening. After a bit of time, the Elf gave a small smile before turning to look at Rainbow Dash. "Yeah," he said with a soft but more happy tone of voice. Taking a hand off the bag, the Elf petted Rainbow Dash on her head, stroking her mane a little with a finger and thumb. "yeah, you're definitely my friends."

The atmosphere began to change from one with a thick layer of discord and melancholy to one of heightened love and care. Twilight couldn't help but smile knowing that, despite all that Gai'vahros had said, he found it in his heart to call each of them "friends". Spike stood a ways from the Blood Elf and Rainbow Dash, feeling a small tear well up in his eyes, but he was able to hold them back.

Gai'vahros stood up, removing his hand from the top of Rainbow Dash. Even though he was wearing gauntlets he could still feel the soft fluffiness of the pegasus' mane. "Anyway, you guys still need to pack, right?" The Blood Elf spoke, addressing both Twilight and Spike. "All my things seem to be in order, so it's just you two now."

Before any one of them could respond, two ponies appeared at the front door. Both Fluttershy and Rarity stood at the doorway before allowing themselves entry into the library. The two of them had smiles upon their faces, as though they were looking forward to the camping trip despite earlier reluctance.

"O-Oh, I hope we're not interrupting anything," Fluttershy said sheepishly, lowering her head in embarrassment. "w-we can come back later… that is, if that's okay with you guys…"

"Don't worry, Fluttershy, you didn't miss anything," Twilight giggled as she opened a small cabinet under one of the bookshelves, taking out a small bedroll. "we were just getting ready to start packing. By the way, you guys are here early."

"Well of course, dear," Rarity spoke aloud as she made her way to Gai'vahros. "I thought we could relax a little - the whole group, together! Well, that, and I ran out of material for my dresses and was completely BORED sitting at home doing nothing."

"Oh, actually, my Lady Fluttershy, how are the animals," Gai'vahros had some concern over Fluttershy being comfortable with her friends being left with his assistant. "is Mogan keeping a close eye on them?"

"Oh, oh yes," Fluttershy seemed incredibly joyful as she spoke, as though the Orc gruntling was a miracle worker. "all of the animals took a really strong liking to Mogan. I've not seen them so happy and comfortable with a stranger before."

"Haha, that's great news. Oh, my Lady Rarity, where is your little sister? I thought she'd be with you by now?"

"Oh, no, I haven't seen her since she left to find Scootaloo," Rarity responded although she was amazingly calm about the prospect about her sister being away for so long. "they're probably at their little Crusader's clubhouse. Don't worry, she'll be here on time."

"Well howdy there, every-pony," A deep accent came bursting through the doorway. Applejack casually strode into the library, which was starting to feel very packed. "Ah hope y'all don't mind me an' Apple Bloom comin' early. I thought maybe I'd let he see a certain someone."

"Heya, Gai!" Apple Bloom came dashing out from the side of Applejack, running up to Gai'vahros and nuzzling the side of his leg affectionately. "Are we REALLY goin' camping together!?" It seemed as though, out of all those present, Apple Bloom was the most enthusiastic pony about going camping.

"Haha, it's great to see you again, little Apple Bloom," Gai'vahros chuckled with a big smile on his face, petting the little filly on her head. "You bet we are. You ready to have some awesome fun?"

"Sure am!" Apple Bloom couldn't control her excitement, lightly hopping up and down on the floor.

"Hey, I wanna have fun, too!" A very high pitched voice made itself known as everyone turned to see Pinkie Pie at the doorway. Or, rather, hanging upside down from the top of the doorway, with her upper body in view. She quickly and amazingly flipped down from the doorframe and landed on all fours, turning to the crowd inside. "Did ya remember to bring crumpets, Gai?"

"Uh… aha, they're in the post?" Gai'vahros replied with an awkward smile and a sarcastic comment.

Pinkie stared at Gai'vahros for a moment before sneezing, shooting out confetti from her nose, much to the astonishment of everyone, especially the Blood Elf. "Oh! Okay! Did they send it to here? Oh, no, wait! What if they turn up while we're camping? You shoulda had them mail it to the forest! Oh, but the forest doesn't have any mailboxes…"

"Uh, lady Applejack? How did Pinkie do the whole sneeze thing, with the confetti and party blower noise?" Gai'vahros whispered to Applejack, who leaned her head into his direction.

"Ah, beats me, Gai. That's just Pinkie Pie bein'… well, Pinkie Pie."

"Yeah, Twilight said something like that earlier…"

For a while, everyone took a seat inside in a large circle of chairs as though they were at some sort of meeting. All those present were having a good time while they were waiting until four o'clock to head off camping. Twilight was instructing Spike to write down some reminders, which the little dragon did as they were spoken. Fluttershy and Rarity were talking about how they were going to spend their time camping, a conversation that was apparently a carry on from before they came. Pinkie Pie was entertaining Apple Bloom by, well, being Pinkie Pie. Finally, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were talking and making quips at each other about Applejack's flying yesterday when they went to Cloudsdale.

It was all alien to Gai'vahros. As the Blood Elf sat back on his chair he just looked around, watching all of these ponies talk, laugh, argue, smile, help each other - so many different things that he had never seen in such a long time, what with the war effort on Azeroth. For a moment, Gai'vahros began to think back to the times when the Horde and Alliance worked together to face a common enemy. It was those times where he felt like what he was doing was the right thing.

"Hey, Gai, are you gonna tell us more stories tonight?" Applejack's voice suddenly caught Gai'vahros' attention. "I'm sure Rainbow Dash here would just love to hear about how you fought off scary undead stuff."

"H-Hey, Applejack! That's not funny!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, lightly nudging the earth pony.

"Hah, I've got plenty of those stories to tell," Gai'vahros replied with a smirk on his face, noticing the chagrin on Rainbow Dash' face. "but I promised Twilight I would tell about the Nexus War. I think it would be best to demonstrate that magic should not be abused."

"Heya everyone!" The conversations between everyone came to a halt as they all turned to the door. Stood at the archway was Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who stood beside her. "Oh, everyone's here already? I thought we were meeting up at four? It's only half past one."

"Oh, Sweetie Belle, darling," Rarity quickly got up out of her chair and gave her little sister a big hug. "We all thought we'd come early, I guess." the unicorn looked at Scootaloo, who seemed a bit shy for the most part. "It's good to see you, too, Scootaloo."

"Hey there, kiddo," Rainbow Dash looked over her foreleg resting on the back of the chair, turning sideward to give her attention. "You looking' forward to camping?"

"Oh, hey, Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo looked up with a cheery expression on her face, looking up at her idol. "Yeah, I'm totally psyched for it! But… uh, who's the guy sitting next to you?" Scootaloo was a bit nervous as Gai'vahros looked back at her. She tried not to make eye contact though.

"Oh, this is Gai. He's from another world! But, he's stuck here until we can find a way to send him back."

"A-another world?" Scootaloo's eyes widened and lit up, looking at the Blood Elf who only smiled back in return. "Oh my gosh this is AWESOME!"

"I know, right!?"

Gai'vahros turned his chair a little so that he could turn on it and present himself to the little pegasus. "Haha, I'm not sure if that's awesome," the Blood Elf spoke in modesty, "but It's a pleasure to meet you, little Scootaloo." Gai'vahros held out a hand to offer a handshake to Scootaloo.

The little pegasus paused for a moment before extending a foreleg, bumping the end of against his hand. "Is that how you hoof-bump someone who isn't a pony?"

"A… "hoof-bump"?" Gai'vahros was dumbstruck by such a concept that he didn't even know how to respond besides repeating the phrase.

"Anyway, girls, and guys, we're all here," Twilight stood at the back of the room, drawing in everyone's attention. "I think it would be good if we all set off now. We could always have a picnic, too?"

"Oh that's a brilliant idea," Rarity spoke up as she turned to Fluttershy. "Me and Fluttershy have got ALL the necessary things for just an occasion."

"H-hey, but the crumpets haven't arrived yet!" Pinkie Pie couldn't help herself but yell out obstructively, what with crumpets still on her mind.

"Anar'alah, I hope to heaven that Lady Rarity or Lady Fluttershy have crumpets prepared…"


	18. New Friends, Chapter 17

The afternoon was still early within this part of Equestria. The sky still blanketed the land in its pale blue colours, interrupted only by the drifting of thick white clouds and the passing of many colourful birds. The atmosphere was set not only visibly but audibly as well. Every bird gave out a soft, sweet chorus of song upon the base line of the whistling winds. Even though it was in the afternoon, the entire scenery and atmosphere made it seem like it was in the early hours of the morning.

For Gai'vahros, that wasn't a bad thing at all. If there were two things he loved it was the sunrise and the sunset of the day, but he was definitely considering adding this feel to his list. What the blood elf enjoyed the most was being able to just relax, and that was probably what made the day feel so good. For years, all he ever did was fight, crusade, and kill. It hadn't crossed his mind even once to take a day off from it and enjoy the peaceful life. His only regret was not doing this years sooner.

"Yay! Crumpets!" a high-pitched cry erupted from Pinkie Pie, who was gazing down at a large plate of crumpets on the picnic blanket. "So the mail pony came after all!" she was obviously still oblivious to the fact that the whole 'in the mail' comment was only a gag.

"Uh, yes, dear," Rarity gave a rather uneasy chuckle as she watched her friend have, what could be described simply as, a staring contest with the plate of crumpets. "but, Gai'vahros, darling, you haven't even touched your food. Is there something wrong?"

"Haha, of course not, my Lady Rarity," Gai'vahros assured her that there was nothing the matter with her food; in fact, everything looked so good that he began to wonder why he hadn't taken a bite out of anything yet. Leaning forwards, he picked up a sandwich from a selection of plates. "It's just that I've never really done this kind of thing before. It's a lot to take in- almost too much." though before anyone could respond, Gai'vahros took a small bite out of the sandwich he was holding. Everyone was more interested in his reaction than to ask more about himself, for the moment. "Oh, egg and tomato. This is good."

"I'm glad you like it, Gai'vahros," Fluttershy responded with a small hint of blush on her cheeks, although most of her mane hid it from the eyes of those present. "me and Rarity spent a lot of time making all of this food…" it was the way she said this that almost made Gai'vahros feel guilty for not eating any of it sooner, and even more so if he didn't help polish all of it off.

"Well, you two made an awful lot of food, y'know," Applejack said with a smile on her face while scanning over the entirety of the enormous blanket, spotting sandwiches, cakes, and scones, amongst a plethora of other concoctions. "but this'll definitely last us while we're all campin'."

"I'll say," Twilight was just as amazed; she had a plate with a few sandwiches, small cut fries and several biscuits, and the picnic still looked as though it hadn't been touched. "but this is a little too much for three days, right?"

"Hey, I just had a great idea," Rainbow Dash said as she hovered above the edge of the blanket with a carrot and lettuce sandwich in hoof. "why don't we keep camping until we run out of food? It'd be great to spend some extra time out here!"

"So about two days, judging from the amount of food that Spike's had so far." Twilight said sarcastically, looking down at her faithful assistant.

"I can't help it," Spike spoke, though his mouth was muffled by the mush of lightly chewed cupcakes. The little dragon looked back at Twilight, holding a cupcake in each hand while his plate consisted of a few more, some sandwiches, and some small precious gems that Rarity had put aside especially for him. "Rarity's food is so good, and these gems go so well with cupcakes."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Spikey," spoke Rarity in gratitude, "I made those cupcakes just for you." with a small smile, Rarity gave a wink at Spike. Her affection towards the young dragon caused his cheeks to swell with blush.

Fluttershy gave a little giggle as she noticed Spike's rosy red cheeks, but stopped as she looked down at her plate only to spot a baby squirrel nibbling at the crust of her bread slices. "Aw, poor little squirrel," spoke Fluttershy in a loving manner, "do you want me to share my food with you?" the little squirrel looked up with her and gave a very excited nod. Fluttershy gently peeled the crusts from the edges of the bread, leaving them in a little pile on the picnic blanket for her critter friend to eat.

Gai'vahros, too, began to remove the crust from his half-eaten sandwich before leaving them on the other side of the squirrel. At this point it looked as though the critter was sat between two towers of bread. "There you go," spoke Gai'vahros softly, "I'm not a fan of edges, anyway." the little squirrel looked back at Gai'vahros and then to the small pile of leftovers, giving a large smile and a squeak.

"Oh, he said "thanks"." said Fluttershy, turning her attention to Gai'vahros. "You're a really kind person, Gai'vahros, sharing your food with him."

"Don't mention it, my Lady Fluttershy," replied Gai'vahros as he lightly raised a hand up, "there's no sense in letting food go to waste if someone wants it." Gai'vahros gently placed a finger on the head of the squirrel, who began to nuzzle the silk.

"Gai, are ya gonna tell us a story," asked Apple Bloom, looking up the blood elf from the other side of the blanket. "preferably one without war an' stuff?" the filly wanted to hear of a tale that was more peaceful and not as destructive as she believed Gai'vahros' world to be.

"Hah. Way to me on the spot, little Apple Bloom." chuckled Gai'vahros as he gave a smile, but it was difficult for the blood elf to think of anything that didn't involve him slicing something in half. For a moment, he gave pause before speaking. "Actually… I can't really think of anything," he responded with a soft sigh as he picked up a small cup of tea beside him, taking a sip of it. "but I do know of one person who tends to be involved in crazy things."

"Oh? Who's that?" asked Apple Bloom, visibly interested.

"An old friend of mine; Stavros Kazantzitis," replied Gai'vahros before starting to chuckle under his breath as he placed the teacup back on the saucer. "he's a priest of the Alliance as well as a good friend of the family, so to speak."

"But aren't you at war with the Alliance?" asked Twilight, questioning the relationship between Gai'vahros and Stavros.

"Not exactly," Gai'vahros corrected her, "the Horde is waging war against the Alliance while the Alliance fights back for two reasons; to protect Pandaria, where the war has escalated to, and to dethrone the Horde Warchief- Garrosh Hellscream. Me and Stavros, as well as a lot of other adventurers, however, do not care about this fruitless war effort. We do what we do and fight the fights we think are worth fighting for. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not at war with the Alliance; I'm at war with Hellscream's "Horde"."

"You make it sound like your "Warchief" is an evil warmongering dictator."

"That's because he is. That is why the Alliance is against us. That is why, every day, hundreds of humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, draenei- including innocents- lose their lives."

The tension thickened like resin. Everyone at the picnic looked upon Gai'vahros as if they were waiting for him to burst from the obvious resentment he had towards the Horde-Alliance war as well as his hatred towards this "Garrosh Hellscream". Gai'vahros just sat, legs crossed, with his fingers entwined together and his chin resting upon two extended thumbs. Even though he was staring blankly forwards, his eyes darted in Apple Bloom's direction, causing her to feel incredibly uneasy. However, before the filly could voice her concern, Gai'vahros looked up with a grin on his face.

"So, about Stavros," exclaimed Gai'vahros, causing everyone to jump a little as he suddenly switched back to his more cheerful demeanour. "he's always a good laugh to be around if only because his raging is so funny to watch. I remember when we got into an argument over who would get the lack of the cake only for the mage to teleport it to Dalaran. It took us nearly all day but we managed to find it. Unfortunately, it had already been eaten. He was in such a huff over it we couldn't help but burst out laughing."

"He sounds like a great person," Rarity spoke in admiration, "but what is his relation to your family?"

"He was the one who taught my father the ways of the Holy Light during the Second War," Gai'vahros replied, though he wasn't so cheerful when saying it. "back when the "blood elves" were still considered high elves; back when we were part of the Alliance. I was young then, but I remember him greatly, and fondly, too. He was like an uncle to me, looking after me whenever father went off to war. I guess it was because of my father and Stavros that I became a blood knight. God I haven't seen him in some time."

"This might not be a question answerable, but do you know what he thinks 'bout the war?" asked Applejack, hoping to get an answer that would bolster her interest, and enthusiasm, in Stavros.

"… I've no idea." replied the blood elf, shaking his head. "The last I heard of him was during our victory over the Destroyer- Deathwing. After the fight, we parted; I went back to Silvermoon while he returned to Stormwind. I guess that, with the defection of Archbishop Benedictus, Stavros will become a candidate to take up the mantle of Archbishop to lead the Church of the Holy Light. He's more than likely hung up his mantle as an adventurer."

"But that's a good thing, right?" Sweetie Belle challenged Gai'vahros' notion that Stavros' new position, and retirement of his previous one, would somehow reduced him. "If he becomes an Archbishop, wouldn't he be able to help out a lot of people without having to fight? Wouldn't it be better for him to live a more quiet life?"

"Yeah, you're right," Gai'vahros gave a small smile as he turned to Sweetie Belle. In his heart, he knew that his old friend would be better off spending the rest of his time in retirement, what with him getting on in his elderly years. "I guess I'm just upset that everything we've all worked towards feels like it's all crumbling down around us."

"Hey now, don't go an' bring the mood down, Gai," Applejack scalded the rather pessimistic elf. Before continuing, she took a bite out of an apple that rested in her hoof. "friendships and bonds aren't easily broken, y'know. I bet, if you went and saw him, he'd give ya a big hug and a howdy-do!"

"He probably would, but with my allegiance to Silvermoon and, thus, the Horde, I've no chance in being able to meet up with him or any other of my companions that reside within the Alliance territories. I can't even send him a letter."

"Well how 'bout you go an' send a neutral party to deliver the letter, instead?"

"Because I don't know anyone neutral." Gai'vahros sighed, picking up his cup of tea and taking another sip. As he stared into the amber honey-sweetened brew, a spark went off in his mind. "Oh, actually I do know of one person. The only problem is that he doesn't frequent the Alliance territories all that often. Perhaps I can ask him as a favour; he owes me a few favours from all the things I've done for him."

"Then it's settled; when you get back to ya own world, you can give a letter to that friend o' yours and he can deliver it to Stavros for ya."

"Oh yeah? Do you propose that this third party plays messenger all day long?" with a smirk, Gai'vahros looked back at Applejack before chuckling under his breath. Applejack was speechless at this point, having no viable response to Gai'vahros' challenge. He, on the other hand, didn't expect one. "Ah, it doesn't matter. At some point, Stavros will find his way towards this conflict if it means defending Stormwind. That will probably be the day we cross paths again."

While most of the group were getting more and more into Gai'vahros' personal life, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo sat beside each other with Rainbow Dash sharing a tale with her little companion. "Y'know, kid, I remember when I was your age and I got to see The Wonderbolts perform in Cloudsdale. It was so awesome watchin' them pull off awesome moves, like the "Chandelle", the "Inside Loop", and the "Lazy Eight". I remember when everyone shouted out "do a Barrel Roll"! It was a good day."

"You're so lucky, Rainbow Dash," squealed Scootaloo in both admiration and envy, wishing that she could have seen their performance, or any of their performances for that matter. "being able to see The Wonderbolts live. Do you think, if I get really good at flying, that I'll be able to get to meet them?"

"Sure thing. In fact, the next time I get tickets to see them, I'll grab one for you, too."

"Really!? You're the best, Rainbow Dash!"

Gai'vahros couldn't help but turn his attention to the two of them although not showing it visibly. At first, his ears picked up on their conversation before Scootaloo's outcry of excitement, at which point the blood elf turned to show his interest. "These "Wonderbolts" sounds pretty interesting," spoke Gai'vahros finally as he placed a finger and thumb on his chin. "are they acquaintances of yours, my Lady Rainbow Dash?"

"I wish," scoffed Rainbow Dash though not to show any disrespect towards Gai'vahros nor her idols, "they're, like, the most famous ponies in Cloudsdale. No, scratch that, they're probably the most famous ponies in the whole of Equestria! Uh, royalty not included, obviously."

"I see. So these pegasi- I assume that they're pegasi- are a troupe of aerobats? What makes them so famous?"

"… Dude! I can't believe you just said that! I mean-" Rainbow Dash was on the urge of exploding at this point. She was so dumbstruck, so speechless, by Gai'vahros' words that she didn't even know how to reply appropriately. "-come ON! They're just totally amazing by all means!"

"I'll take it from here, Rainbow Dash." Twilight spoke up as she watched her friend lose her patience with the blood elf. "You see, Gai'vahros, The Wonderbolts are also a demonstration team and professional flyers. Also, they have an academy where potential new recruits are trained. They're highly respected for what they do- and they do a lot- as pegasi."

"So what else do they do? I don't see their aerobatics as "a lot"."

"I guess your world doesn't behave like ours where pegasi are concerned. Pegasi in Equestria have a lot of tasks that need to be done on a daily basis. Things like the weather- making rainbows, crafting snowflakes, and even moving around storm clouds- are all done by pegasus ponies. The Wonderbolts not only take part in this but also direct and coordinate other groups under them, namely the new workers."

"I think I'm beginning to understand, although your world is very… eccentric when it comes to the workings of meteorology. Nonetheless, I can't argue that they, and other pegasi, have very important roles in Equestrian society."

"Now you're getting' it," Rainbow Dash spoke with a smirk, having a chance to calm down while Twilight educated the unknowledgeable blood elf. "but perhaps it would be better if you went and saw them in person than just hearing about them. I guess that's three tickets I'll be getting next time."

"I'm more interested in this "academy" you spoke about; the one for new recruits." Gai'vahros couldn't help but entertain the thought of undergoing The Wonderbolts' trials. "I assume anyone able to fly can enrol in it?"

"It's not that easy, Gai. First, you gotta send a letter of interest to their head office. After that, you gotta wait for a reply, which could either say you're in or to take a hike. But, it would be pretty interesting to see if you get in or not; there's never been a non-pony in the academy before."

"Perhaps I can humour the notion of being the first non-pony Wonderbolt by applying." joked Gai'vahros as he swept one of his locks from the front of his face, still wearing a grin on his face. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"So you want me to put in a good word for ya?" asked Rainbow Dash as she gave a smirk, enjoying the prospect of Gai'vahros aiming to join The Wonderbolts. "Don't forget, though, that I'll also be applying at the academy! Don't think you can outdo me at what I do best!"

"Hah, "outdoing" you would be an understatement. You'll be wiping the dust from your face after I'm done with you." Gai'vahros laughed as he spoke, taunting and challenging the pegasus. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, didn't find it as an insult as much as she found it a boast.

"Chyeah, right. I guess you're gonna tell me that you did so much better than me when we were flying around yesterday?" the pegasus took this as a humoured debate, taking it in her stride. She turned to Scootaloo, nudging her shoulder with her elbow. "Yesterday, me and Gai got into a lil "competition" over who could pull off the more awesome stunts. Naturally I was the better pony."

"You were the only pony doing it." Gai'vahros quipped, pointing out that he wasn't a pony. "But I concede, though, that you pulled off some pretty amazing stunts. I'm quite surprised that you yourself are not a member of these Wonderbolts. They must be deaf, dumb and blind to not notice your talents yet."

"H-hey, I ain't that great," stuttered Rainbow Dash as her cheeks began to blush. Her eyes kept shifting from one side to another, looking to the left, then around to the right before shifting back again. "and besides, if I was so great, they would have asked me to join the academy by now, right?"

"A friend of mine told me, once; "Sometimes people come to us to seek their fame. Sometimes it's the famous who come to us"." replied Gai'vahros, showing off a bit of philosophical teaching. "Basically, people don't have to be told that they are great or extraordinary. People can be overlooked or just not noticed. You just got to go out there and show them that you're great and extraordinary."

"You really think so?"

"I know so, my Lady Rainbow Dash."

The picnic went on for quite some time as the sun began to withdraw from the sky, allowing the night to take its place. The sky began to shift from its clear blue shade to a tone mixed between orange and violet. The clouds drifted upon calm currents of winds, bringing more life and more depth to the horizon.

Twilight and the rest of the group began to tidy away the picnic before it got too dark. While Twilight and Spike were wrapping up the food, Applejack and Apple Bloom folded the blanket as the food was being removed. Rarity and Sweetie Belle started placing all the wrapped up food back on a small cart that they and Fluttershy had brought along with them. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie sat upon the grass, discussing about their camping location to which Fluttershy didn't seem fond of- the "scary woods" south of their location. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo laid upon the grass, opposite of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, looking up at the sky.

"Y'know what really relaxes me, Scootaloo?" Rainbow Dash started, turning to her companion. "Getting to lay back and look at the sky. Always helps clear my mind, y'know?"

"Oh," Scootaloo replied as she turned to Rainbow Dash. Turning back to the sky above, she began to let her eyes relax and her mind wander. "I've never really thought of it like that before." the young pegasus began to watch as the clouds drifted overhead. The shine of the dawning sun refracted through openings in them, leaving a trail of glistening light.

Suddenly, their sights were blocked by a soft and thick covering of silk. "Guess who?" a voice called out to the two of them. Gai'vahros stood behind them, placing a hand over each of the ponies' eyes.

"Hah! Hey, Gai," Rainbow Dash replied, pushing the elf's hand from her face, as did Scootaloo. "you gonna come and join us?"

"Nah, Miss Bossy-Boots says we've got to head to the camp site," Gai'vahros pointed over his shoulder with a thumb, his naming directed to Twilight. "so when you two are ready, we'll be heading off. Don't be too long."


	19. New Friends, Chapter 18

The night began to quickly dawn upon the plains of Equestria. The sun had set fully into the horizon, leaving the full moon and the glistening stars to take its place within their own domain. Thin strands of darkened clouds veiled the sky, giving a sense of life to what would otherwise be an empty cascade of violet. A gentle breeze rolled through the air, brushing up against the tops of the trees and the leaves upon their branches. The bushes rustled quietly as the woodland fauna scurried to and from, retreating back to their nests, retiring for the night. Everything was quiet, calm, and peaceful.

The bright glow from the campfire illuminated a small clearing amongst a group of tall trees, colouring the faces of the group in a hint of orange and yellow. The warmth bathed each of them equally, lovingly, shielding them from the cold winds. Each of them sat around in a circle upon fallen logs as they gave their undivided attention to the blood elf perched upon a trunk.

"… Then, as we darted down the path, Arthas called upon a huge, thick wall of ice to block our path," Gai'vahros was continuing one of his stories to which the rest of the group was undoubtedly drawn to. As he spoke, he began acting out some of the story with his hands, raising them up as he described the wall of ice growing from the ground. "all of us thought that we were definite goners, but Lady Sylvanas began to chip away at it. The rest of us turned to face the Lich King, arms at the ready, as he called upon his hordes of undead to attack us. We all knew, however, that he was merely toying with us."

"Oh wow, Gai," Sweetie Belle was considerably impressed as she began to picture the action playing out in her mind. "that's musta been totally scary!" even though she had stopped Gai'vahros in mid-story-and the fact that he was sitting before them today- she couldn't began to imagine how he and everyone else could survive the trap. Even so, the one thing she found amazing was that she was sitting with, what she believed, an almighty hero.

"You could say that," replied Gai'vahros with a light chuckle, "it was daunting that the Lich King crept ever closer to us, with death's door appearing in sight with each step he took. We all battled on as the Scourge leapt at us wave after wave, their numbers not seeming to dwindle despite the many who fell to our might and magic. But, when all hoped seemed lost, Lady Sylvanas called out to us; "the wall is down! Quickly, heroes, make your way to the other side". Before the undead could overwhelm us we retreated down the tunnel, noticing an opening at the far end. That was our goal."

"Well that was mighty lucky of y'all," Applejack spoke as she gave a soft sigh of relief. Like Sweetie Belle, she could scarcely believe that Gai'vahros could come out of this encounter in one piece despite him telling it, alive and well. "what with yer "Sylvanas" bein' able to take down that wall. So, you managed to get to the other side after that?"

"Hah, no," exclaimed Gai'vahros as he looked to Applejack, "like I said, the Lich King was merely toying with us. I think all of us had in mind that he wasn't about to let up on us so easily. The six of us ran alongside Lady Sylvanas, and all of us probably expected the same thing; another huge wall of ice, taller than the first, rose from the glacier underfoot to impede our escape. Again Lady Sylvanas instructed us to hold off any undead that came as she began to strike down the barrier."

"You did it the first time, right?" asked Rainbow Dash with a smirk on her face, "The second time woulda been a piece of cake for ya!"

"It wasn't so simple, my Lady Rainbow Dash," Gai'vahros shook his head before looking up to the pegasus. "remember that the wall was much larger than the last. It was strenuous for Lady Sylvanas to take down the first one, so fatigue began to set in. Not only that but more undead began to rush towards us. Arthas was beginning to show more aggression; tens of undead swarmed us in overwhelming numbers of waves. It was only by the grace of the Light that Christoph was able to combat and keep the pressure, with Stavros providing much needed support, that we were able to take control of the fight. In the end, me and Emilia were able to whittle down any and all enemies who opposed us as Lady Sylvanas tore down the second barrier."

"Uh, who're Christoph and Emilia?" Apple Bloom asked, "You've not mentioned them 'til now."

"Oh, yeah," replied the blood elf, a bit embarrassed that he had not introduced the two of them properly prior to the story. "I guess I'd better do that so you're not confused. Christoph is a paladin of the Alliance. One of the best that they have to offer, in my opinion." Gai'vahros sounded a bit hesitant as he spoke about his comrade, pausing before mentioning him being a paladin, and again at mentioning his opinion. "He seemed to have a personal stake in the war against the Lich King that to this day I do not know of. Emilia is a close friend of mine- another blood elf who survived the Scourge invasion. We met during the Nexus War to which she was a target of, being a mage as well as an ambassador of the Kirin Tor."

"And what about Christoph? How did you get to meet him?"

Gai'vahros paused for a moment. For a reason kept to himself, he did not like talking about this particular human, but he knew that, if he didn't, the others would catch on. He had to swallow his pride on this one but also had to accept the consequence that may arise from discussing this topic. "We did not meet under good circumstances, I must make clear first. We first met in Lordaeron while I was delivering a message to Lady Sylvanas. Ironic, really; Lordaeron was where he was born before Arthas destroyed the kingdom and, after that, the Forsaken had claimed it their home. He knew what us blood knights were; the embodiment of the mockery of paladins."

"What do you mean, Gai'vahros," asked Twilight, who was concerned as to why her friend would be called a mockery of another class, "why would he think you're insulting paladins?"

"I was afraid it would come to this." Gai'vahros sighed, placing a hand on his forehead as he looked down to the ground. More scared of divulging more of his dark past, he was afraid of his new friends changing their opinion of him. For a moment he sat in a hunched position. The rest of the group stared at him, worried for him but, despite knowing that he was to speak of bad times, they awaited the rest of his tale. "You see, where the paladins gain their power by worshipping the Holy Light, blood knights gain their power by siphoning the energies of the Sunwell. However, before the Sunwell, we siphoned the energies from something else. Even to this day I still carry the burden of guilt of that sin."

Twilight was too scared to ask as she stared into the horrified eyes of the blood elf. Her heart kept pounding heavily against her chest, feeling as though it was trying to burst out. Her throat began to open and close uncontrollably as she tried hard for her words to come out. Her mind, however, couldn't even began to piece the words that she was trying to let out together. Slowly she began to inhale a lungful of air, which managed to do her some good as it helped clear her mind. Finally she could open her mouth without slurring a phrase, asking the one thing she didn't want the answer to. "What… what was it?"

"A living being." uttered the visibly stricken Gai'vahros. His head turned to Twilight, seeing only the shrunken pupils of her eyes and the confused yet mortified expressions of those around her. He knew that they understood what he was saying. "Us blood elves, in our desperate struggle to sate our addiction to magic, resorted to living off demonic "fel" magic. However, our "prince", Kael'thas Sunstrider, captured a naaru- a being of pure light energy- and sent it back to Silvermoon to help us with our addiction without having to resort to demonic energies. Most blood knights chose to do so in necessity as an alternative to fel magic. Me and Lady Liadrin, however, did so out of spite."

"What do you mean "out of spite"," Rarity asked. Despite being horrified by what Gai'vahros and his people had done she was still willing to hear the whole thing, hoping to clear up anything she needed to know along the way. "you mean you had a personal grudge against this "naaru"?"

"No," Gai'vahros replied bluntly, "we both had a grudge against the Light. While I was trained as a paladin by my father, Lady Liadrin had always been a priest of the Holy Light. After the Scourge Invasion me, Lady Liadrin, and every surviving high elf, believed that the Light had abandoned us. In our most dearest time we needed the Light more than ever, it had failed us." the blood elf's voice was soft, quiet, and brooding. "Lady Liadrin was the first to be initiated as a blood knight while I followed in her footsteps soon after. I remember her initiation clearly; her cries of anger echoed through the halls, cries of how the light had forsaken her, her family, and her people, as she forcibly drew the naaru's life force into herself. I remember seeing her crumble down to her knees, crying as her emotions overwhelmed her. I remember doing the same when I became initiated."

Silence sank into the atmosphere as Gai'vahros stopped. For some time, no one said anything or even dared to so much as cough. The tension was thick, thick enough the smother the mouths and minds of all those present, preventing them from muttering or even thinking of a response. Applejack and Apple Bloom looked to one another as though they were expecting to hear something reassuring, but nothing was spoken. Rarity and Sweetie Belle wanted to try and console and comfort the blood elf but dared not risk provoking an outburst of emotion from him. Fluttershy was visibly upset; a small well of tears filled her eyes. Even pinkie Pie had a sense of decorum, not bursting out into any jokes or antics. Apple Dash became scared both of and for Gai'vahros, not ever seeing him so distraught before. Scootaloo kept close to her idol, trying to tuck herself under Rainbow Dash' wing alongside Spike, who had the same idea. Twilight knew she wasn't going to like the reply but even she didn't foresee this no matter how much she thought about it.

"But there's a happy end to this, right?" Twilight thought for a moment before she spoke out again. She understood that, after the ordeal of the naaru, Gai'vahros helped reclaim the Sunwell. "You said before how you were able to take back the Sunwell."

"Yeah, that's right." Gai'vahros spoke a bit more cheerfully. His look of regret quickly changed into a small smile. "Well, after Kael'thas had betrayed us to give his allegiance to the Legion the blood knights of Silvermoon pledged our allegiance to the Shattered Sun Offensive- a faction of warriors and adventurers alike whose goal was to defeat the Legion's forces that had attacked Shattrath City, as well as the Isle of Quel'Danas through the Sunwell Plateau. Me and Lady Liadrin were the first to pledge our arms to fight beside Shattrath City. It was also then that we understood that M'uru- the naaru who we had siphoned our energies from- knew of his role in the whole ordeal as prophesied by the draenei Velen. Despite our victory over the Legion and the cleansing of the Sunwell, to which we blood knights now gain our powers from, we cannot help but feel as though our sin cannot be forgotten- cannot be forgiven."

Gai'vahros felt something soft press against his back, and then a second, finally a third. Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash each placed a foreleg upon the shoulder blades of the blood elf, comforting him with their presence. Gai'vahros' head looked up to meet with Twilight's before turning his head to look to Rarity, and then to Rainbow Dash. All three of them had a smile on their face, something that the rather confused blood elf would not have thought there would be.

"I admit that what you did was wrong, Gai'vahros," conceded Twilight as she looked into the eyes of the still visibly distressed elf, "but one mistake doesn't immediately make you a bad person forever."

"Exactly, dear," continued Rarity, "you understood that what you did was wrong, and you've done so much for everyone- including us- to show that you're a great person at heart."

"Sure thing, Gai," spoke Rainbow Dash, "and besides; if you weren't a good person, you wouldn't have awesome friends like us, right?"

"I…yeah, I guess so." Gai'vahros didn't know what to say. for years he had bared the burden in his chest and carried the guilt around his neck like a two-ton medallion. He had never told of anyone before now of his painful past, but it felt good for him to get it out. It was even better for him that these ponies- his friends- were there to support and encourage him. A bright smile sprawled across his face as he looked back to those who were there for him. "Thanks so much, ladies. It means a lot to me to hear you say such things."

The atmosphere was so much for Fluttershy that she spontaneously burst into flight, making her way to Gai'vahros before embracing him in a big cuddle. Even though she knew he wasn't an animal her natural instinct made her still treat him like one. "I'm so sorry you had to have such a hard life, Gai'vahros," Fluttershy sobbed as tears began to roll down her cheeks. At this point, Gai'vahros wasn't sure if he should feel bad about himself or if he should try to comfort Fluttershy. "but we'll always be here for you! If that's okay with you…?"

"It's always okay with me, my Lady Fluttershy," Gai'vahros replied, wrapping an arm around the pegasus and holding her close to his side. "and I will always be here for you guys."

"But what about you gettin' back to yer own home, Gai," Applejack questioned, "or do ya plan on stayin' here with us?"

Gai'vahros looked back to the pony, who had a small smile on her face. As soon as she mentioned if he was staying in Equestria, Gai'vahros looked to see everyone's faces; they all had a look of expectation as though they all wanted him to say "yes". The only problem was that Gai'vahros still didn't feel as though he fit in- he was the only elf in this world. In his mind he began to think about long-term commitments; could he fit in a world ruled by ponies? What would he do for companionship? What about the rest of his friends back on Azeroth? What about his commitment to his people? He only had one answer for Applejack.

"… I'm not so sure," he responded to the ever-waiting Applejack. He expected a collective groan in disappointment but all he noticed was a handful of smiles from the group. "I still have business back home, what with the war and everything."

"That's fine," Applejack wasn't disappointed with his words as he had thought she'd be. "you've still got yer friends an' people to protect. They need ya a lot more than we do."

"I guess you're right in that respect," Gai'vahros admitted. His embrace around Fluttershy loosened as he moved his hand from around her shoulder to the top of her head, softly stroking her mane. "but that shouldn't be a measure of where I should go. I like it here and, given different circumstances, I would have told you "yes, I plan on staying here". The problem is that I'm the only elf in this world. What will I do for companionship?"

"Oh, you mean like a girlfriend?" the otherwise extremely quiet Pinkie Pie spoke up from out of nowhere. With the sullen mood over, she thought it best to try and brighten up the situation with her usual light-hearted antics. "Well I think it'd be a neat idea to get you to go out on the town and meet some cute mares! C'mon, you'll have fun!"

"I don't mean to be offensive, Lady Pinkie Pie, but horses and ponies aren't to my taste."

"Oh… oh! You're more of a deer person? That's okay, too! We could always go to Appleloosa and introduce you to a nice deer there!"

"No, no, no. I mean I'm only attracted to females from my own world- other elves."

"Oh. Why? What's wrong with dating a pony?"

"Nothing! It's just- can we change the subject, please?"

"Sure! You ever tried a cherrychanga?"

"Uh… a what?"

"A cherrychanga! it's mashed up cherries in a tortilla that's deep fried. Oh, wait, no, that's a chimicherrychanga. Isn't that the most funny word you've ever heard? Like "kumquat"!"

"I think my brain's going to explode…"

"Anyway, guys," by the grace of the Light, Gai'vahros thought, Twilight spoke up before Pinkie Pie could say anything more. "I think it's time we got some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Truer words have never been spoken," agreed Applejack, stretching her forelegs to the side as she gave a big yawn. "me an' Apple Bloom are gonna hit the hay. I'll see you girls in the mornin'." the two sisters hopped off the log, making their way and tucking themselves into their sleeping bags.

"I think we will, too," Rarity spoke, having the same idea as Applejack. Her and Sweetie Belle made their way to a huge castle-like tent that sat upon the far side of the clearing. "Have a good night, every-pony."

In time, everyone had made nestled into their sleeping accommodations with the exception of Twilight, who sat beside Gai'vahros. "You not tired yet, Gai'vahros?" she asked, turning her head to the visibly awake blood elf. His eyes were still wide open with no sign of fatigue setting.

"Nah. Can't sleep when I have things on my mind." Gai'vahros replied, still looking into the blazing campfire that he had made earlier in the evening. "You know, if things were different I could have taken up Lady Applejack's offer in staying here."

"Yeah, you said that earlier," Twilight responded as she believed Gai'vahros to be repeating himself without him knowing it, "but you said you've got people back home to protect and… well, more chance of love."

"That wasn't entirely true," revealed Gai'vahros, "the reason I can't stay here is because your world is just too… peaceful. All I've known is fighting- It's all I'm really good at. It's also the only thing that makes me feel alive, feel like life is worth living. I don't expect you to understand, my Lady Twilight, for you have not experienced continuous warring, but for me it's like second nature."

"So you enjoy fighting? You enjoy the destruction that comes with it?"

"… That's correct," Gai'vahros hesitated for a moment but he felt as though he could let out everything about his personal life while around Twilight. In essence she became his closest-and only- confidant. "but that does not make me an indiscriminate killer. I only oppose those who would threaten my people and for what I believe in."

"And what do you believe in?"

"That I should fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, that I should fight against tyranny and evil wherever it rears its head. It's not uncommon for those like me to keep fighting and fighting until our dying days- that's still several hundred years for me."

Twilight was silent for a moment. She was immediately impressed with elven longevity in terms of life expectancy but it was harshly offset by her opinion of the blood elf, learning that he enjoys fighting. "Would you still long for fighting even if fighting stopped entirely in your world?"

"That wouldn't happen in my lifetime nor the lifetime of my great-great-grandchildren," Gai'vahros spoke in a sarcastic tone, turning to Twilight with a smirk on his face. "but to honour your question with an answer; maybe, maybe not. I guess that, should there be no more fighting, I'd have no more reason to defend my people since there would be nothing to defend them from. But on the flipside I wouldn't know if I would be bored out of my mind or just grow sick of doing nothing."

"I guess it's kind of like ponies who do extreme sports- cliff-diving, aerobatics, et cetera- feeling the adrenaline rush and the excitement of what they do, and then longing for it when they stop. Except your line of work is more dangerous and barbaric."

"Haha, you could put it in that respect and not be wrong about it, I'll admit. But that's why I never said this earlier with everyone here; I didn't want them to think lowly of me, especially after everything I've said this evening. You're a very wise pony, my Lady Twilight, and an even greater friend. I'm glad you understand my feelings on the matter."

"I understand them, Gai'vahros," Twilight spoke softly as she hopped off the log and onto all fours, "but that doesn't mean I agree with them."

"I don't ever expect you to, and I hope you never do. Your world is better off without barbarian-brained fools like me." Gai'vahros chuckled a little as he gave a half-smile to the pony, who returned the sentiment.

"You're a good barbarian-brained fool, so that's okay in my book." Twilight responded in humour before making her way to her sleeping bag. "Goodnight, Gai'vahros. Don't stay up too late."

"I'll try not to. Goodnight, my Lady Twilight."


	20. New Friends, Chapter 19

Even in the early hours of the morning Gai'vahros did not feel the fatigue inflict upon his body. Even though parts of his body began to feel numb with the lack of blood oxygen flowing through, his brain was still working well into the day. The still somewhat troubled blood elf thought about how he could change his life to live a more peaceful yet still dutiful life, one that didn't involve the continuous fighting and killing that he had become so accustomed- if not addicted- to. He imagined a time, perhaps not so far off into the future, where he would be at peace with his more brutal half. He imagined that he would be a married to a beautiful elven lady, not so much younger than him- by a few decades at most- whom he would be devoted to, whom he could direct his devotion and sense of duty towards. He imagined having kids who he would train as priests or paladins of the Holy Light, just as his father had done to him. But he knew that there would be no conceivable way for him to put aside his love of fighting.

The blood elf stared at the large diamond he held in his hand, with a thin yet durable blade in the other. Slowly, carefully, Gai'vahros cut along the edges of the diamond, shaping it into a more symmetrical and rounded shape. As the steel edge of the knight cut through the gem it began to bring out the clarity and shine of the gem; the surface of the diamond was scratched and tarnished from the time it had been in Rarity's chest, being thrown around as she shifted through her gems, causing the other gems to scrape and damage it. All of the trimming that were being cut off fell into a small pile inside the jewelcrafter kit, kept aside for Spike as Gai'vahros had promised yesterday.

"Anar'alah," Gai'vahros cooed in a soft and slow tempo, his voice carrying the harmonic words of a traditional elven tune. His hands moved along the surface of the diamond as though directed by an orchestral conductor, following the stead of his voice. "anar'alah belore… sindorei…"

"That's a good voice you got there," a quiet yet strong voice teased from a few feet of Gai'vahros. Applejack, looking restless, looked to Gai'vahros. The elf quickly turned back surprised to see Applejack still awake, who only met with his eyes with half-closed eyelids and tiny bags under them. The pony gave an open yet quiet yawn before sitting down beside him. "You ever thought of singin' when you retire?"

"Not if I was the last vocalist on Azeroth," Gai'vahros responded with a sarcastic tone in his voice and a smirk on his lips. The elf kept his gaze upon the sleep deprived Applejack, concerned about her condition but didn't think to voice it. "but I thank you for the encouraging words." His thumb began to stroke a few of the many facets of the gem, wiping away any excess chippings or dust from it. The two of them stared into the gem as Gai'vahros began to move and rotate his hand. The ember glow from the campfire caused the diamond to glisten and shine an array of colours from the fieriest of oranges to the most divine of golden yellows. "What do you think of it so far, my Lady Applejack?"

It was a rather bewildering question for Applejack as she began to think of a reply. The pony tried moving her head forward, squinting, tilting her head- anything to try and make out a shape in what was only a large spherical gem with diamond facets around it. "It's uh… pretty," Applejack blurted finally, moving her head back and giving an awkward smile to Gai'vahros, "but what's it supposed to be?"

"Oh, nothing at the moment," replied Gai'vahros, bringing the gem up to his face to inspect it. "I had to cut away the excess and reshape it to a more workable shape. This way It will make it a lot easier for me to cut it into a more symmetrical shape by using the facets as a guidelines to know where to cut and how much I need to cut off."

"Sounds mighty… fiddly. But you know what yer doin', so it's no big deal for you, right?"

"Ah, not quite," Gai'vahros spoke admittedly while using his thumb and fingers to rotate the diamond orb on its axis, "I still haven't really decided on what shape I should craft this into. I usually cut gems into Round Brilliant, Trilliant, or Square cuts, but I thought that perhaps I should do something a little more unique, something that people will embed itself into the memories of those who see it."

"Hmmm…" Applejack thought for a moment, thinking of various different shapes that would stand out and reflect Gai'vahros' magnificent craftsmanship. "Well, since you're a knight an' all, why don'tchya make it into the shape of a shield? I think that'd look mighty impressive as a necklace or a brooch, or even a bolo tie."

"I think you may be on to something there," Gai'vahros envisioned it within his mind's eye; a large two inch gem encased within a solid gold socket used to fasten the garments of an ambassador, or hung around the neck of a fair elven maiden by a thin, glistening chain of truesilver. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. You've been a great help to me this evening, my Lady Applejack."

"Aw shucks, it was nothin'," said Applejack with a little bit of red in her face coupled with a small grin. "But do ya really think you'll get it done now?"

"Oh of course not, but I'll have the whole week to get it done. I just hope that Lady Rarity will like it."

"A little present for her?"

"Well, it was her diamond to begin with. I just asked for it so I could cut it for her. She said that it was too large and too unworkable for her to be able to do anything with it, and she was right, too. I thought that, maybe, this could be a good way to thank Rarity for fixing up my clothes."

The fire crackled as the twigs and branches fuelling it smouldered to a blacken char. Applejack gave a small yawn as he head lightly drooped down in front of her chest; she hadn't slept for long before waking up in the middle of the early hours of the morrow. However, a few footsteps caused her to bolt awake as she began to doze off, as well as drawing the attention of Gai'vahros. The two of them turned towards the origin of the noise.

"You're still awake, guys?" a soft voice of concern came from Rainbow Dash as she made her way to the two of them. Her wings were ruffled a little from the tossing and turning in her sleeping bag, while her hair puffed up in a few spots. She didn't look like she had much of a good night's sleep, either, for what little time she had spent sleeping. "I thought you'd be hitting the hay by now."

"Ah, yeah, I couldn't get much sleep either, Dashie," responded Applejack with a trying smile, "I guess my body just don't wanna turn off."

"Yeah, your yawning gives it away terribly so," teased the blood elf, noticing that Applejack was obviously tired but yet remained awake. "So why are you still up at this time in the morning, my Lady Applejack?"

"Well… I guess I just wanted to try an' get to spend as much time with ya before you leave," Applejack began to feel a bit embarrassed and silly for saying such thing, having known the elf for only a couple of days. "I mean, no one knows when yer gonna leave, right?"

"I don't even know if I'll ever be able to leave," responded Gai'vahros quickly, "considering that my hearthstone doesn't work here and I have no other way to get myself back home. The only options I have are either; wait for someone to figure out where I am and to come pick me up through another portal; or hope that somewhere in this "Canterlot library" there's a spell that can get me back home. If neither one of them works then… I guess I'll be stuck here."

"Now there's no need to be too down in the dumps, Gai," Applejack placed a hoof on the shoulder of the blood elf, comforting and assuring him as best as she could. "You just' gotta have a lil' faith in yer friends. Why, I'll bet that they're tryin' to find a way to find ya as we speak."

"I guess so," replied Gai'vahros, "but how will they find me? They probably don't even know how the hell I got here in the first place. But thanks for being so optimistic, my Lady Applejack." Gai'vahros wasn't buying it, but he didn't mind all so much. A part of him wanted to stay here and experience this world a while longer.

"Heh, can't blame a gal for tryin', right?" Applejack shifted from the log onto all fours before heading back to her sleeping bag. "I'm gonna get some sleep. I'll see y'all in the mornin'."

"Now that's a point," spoke Gai'vahros as he turned to look back at the cyan pegasus standing behind him on the other side of the log. "Why are you still up, my Lady Rainbow Dash? Can't you sleep either? Or do you just want to spend some quality time with me?" he teased with a smirk across his lips.

"N-no!" exclaimed the flustered pegasus. "I was just… on my way to the bathroom! Yeah, that's it."

"Oh the bathroom?" Gai'vahros thought he'd humour her and play along. "It's just down the path there. It's the second tree on the right," he said as he pointed in front of him towards a small group of trees. "Oh, wait. That's the men's room." He gave a small laugh as Rainbow Dash looked away in embarrassment. "So what is you want to talk about?"

"I, uh, just wanted to talk to you 'bout stuff." Rainbow Dash turned back to Gai'vahros as she spoke. With a flap of her wings, she lifted from the ground and casually plonked herself beside him on the log where Applejack once sat. "You know. About you." She was a bit dubious in making such a comment considering how Gai'vahros had shown great anxiety whenever his personal life, such as his past, was brought up.

"Well, what do you want to know about?"

It was a shock to Rainbow Dash that Gai'vahros would be so open about letting himself be interviewed about his personal life. It was only a few hours ago that the blood elf was so distraught and distressed at divulging some of his more guilt-ridden experiences, but now he showed no such emotion or restraint. "Well… uh…" It was an unexpected curveball from out of nowhere for the pegasus. Gai'vahros' response wiped her mind blank, and all of the questions she had vanished from her thoughts. "so what kinda weapons have you got?" she finally spoke, asking the first question that popped into her head.

"I didn't think you were one for weapons," smiled Gai'vahros, "but I always thought you as the fighting type." Rainbow Dash gave a large grin as if to show her enthusiasm in all things martial. "I have a few weapons- all of them acquired throughout the years of adventuring. I carry two different weapons with me, however; Quel'Serrar, the "High Blade"; and Quel'Delar, the "Sister Blade". Both swords were created, at different times, by the kaldorei and the children of the Aspects. Quel'Serrar was created many thousands of years ago as a symbol of unity between the dragonflights and the kaldorei. It had been kept hidden, protected, by the Shen'dralar Ancients, awaiting the day for the blade to be restored. I was able to forge and temper this prismatic blade with the use of the fire and blood of the dragon brood mother Onyxia. It was then that the sword was born fully."

"And what about the "Sister Blade"?"

"Ah, a tale much longer," replied Gai'vahros as he shifted himself to get more comfortable, swinging his leg over the log as though riding it, positioning himself so he could give Rainbow Dash his full attention without having to turn his neck all the time. "Quel'Delar was forged at the same time as Quel'Serrar- several thousand years ago, even before the War of the Ancients. The blade had been passed down from father to son until it was finally bestowed upon a high elf by the name of Thalorien Dawnseeker. I remember him well- dedicated to the pursuit of justice and even more so to his people. He wielded the sword in both the Troll wars three thousand years ago, and again during the Scourge Invasion. It was a crushing blow for all of us that he had fallen against the death knights."

"You mean… he died?"

"Unfortunately so." Gai'vahros sighed as he leaned back a little. "It was only after the attack that the sword would appear again. A young warrior by the name of Lana'thel stumbled upon the sword and took it as her own. She was a close friend of Thalorien, apparently, so I guess it was fitting that she would wield it in his stead. That was when Kael'thas Sunstrider joined forces with Illidan Stormrage to lead an assault on Icecrown- Arthas' domain on the frozen continent of Northrend. It was a lost cause; the battle was lost and the few survivors were scattered to the four corners of Northrend, only to be hunted down one by one by the Scourge. It was there than Lana'thel fell and was risen as a powerful undead in the service of the Lich King."

"That's… that's horrible," muttered Rainbow Dash, terrified of this "Lich King" that Gai'vahros had constantly brought up during his stories. "How could anyone be so evil?"

"Sometimes it's better to not think about it and to just fight it," replied the blood elf. "So, it was said that Lana'thel could not stand the sight of her sword. It was said that every time she turned to look at her sword she would cry out in anger as she remembered her life before her turn. In her rage, she shattered the sword and flung the pieces as far as she could. I was able to recover a small piece of the sword; the hilt was found carried by one of the Lich King's necromancers."

"So you were able to reforge the sword?"

"Eventually. No one was able to recognize the sword by its hilt alone, and so I was tasked to retrieve a book on prismatic weapons. We learned soon after that the sword was, indeed, Quel'Delar. I was tasked to reforge the sword by using a dark metal called "saronite" and a tool called "the maker's hammer". With both of these, the blade was created, but could not be used. I was then instructed to temper the sword within the Crucible of Souls, to temper it with the fury of thousands of restless dead. It was then that we discovered our folly."

"Your folly? Something went wrong?"

"Indeed. You see, Rainbow Dash, saronite is the hardened black blood of an evil entity, an Old God. The Old Gods are creatures of utmost evil, chaos, and destruction. The blade had become tainted and, as it dwelled within the halls of Icecrown Citadel, or anywhere else under the Lich King's influence for that matter, was slowly taking in the evil presence surrounding it. The blade had to be cleansed. I took it to the Sunwell for it to be bathed in its holy waters, and cleansed it was. That was how I came to acquire, and be chosen by, the sword."

"That's totally awesome!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she put her fore-hooves to her cheeks. "Hey, that reminds me; weren't we supposed to be searching the forest for your equipment?"

"Ah, that's right," agreed Gai'vahros. The blood elf leaned forwards, placing his hands on his knees, before standing up and giving a stretch of his arms, "but I think we should leave it for daybreak; it will be much easier to find what we need with a little bit of sunlight. Besides, you need to get some sleep."

"Pfft. Who needs sleep when we've got a job to do?" asked Rainbow Dash rhetorically. "Plus, you talkin' about that sword has got me totally psyched to try and find it as soon as possible!"

Gai'vahros couldn't help but let out a rather loud and tired sigh. "Fine, fine," Gai'vahros reluctantly agreed to Rainbow Dash' insistence, "we'll go take a look, but only for an hour or so."

The pair quickly made their way towards the opening that lead towards the deeper, darker areas of the forest. Even the shine of the moonlight could not fully pierce through the thick, dense barrier of twisted and contorted branches, with only a few streaks of silvery light managing to pierce and break through the canopies. It was the only source of light for the two of them, which made locating anything that wasn't rock or bush even harder. The only things that either one of them could identify with certainty was the hardened dirt underfoot and the rough bark of trees. It appeared to be a lost cause for the two of them.

"You know what? I'm beginning to think you had the right idea," Rainbow Dash called out to Gai'vahros, admitting that what he said was beginning to look like the better alternative. "I can't see anything in here! What about you?"

"I'm finding it a little bit impairing if I am to be honest with you, my Lady Rainbow Dash," replied Gai'vahros as he knelt down onto the ground, trying to feel for anything that felt like cold steel. "Even with low-light vision I'm still having some trouble trying to depict anything. Everything just looks like a smudge of dark upon dark."

"You wanna give it five more minutes before heading back?" Rainbow Dash began to look up into the trees, thinking that any of Gai'vahros' lost items could have gotten stuck within the branches, hoping that what little moonlight there was could help make them stand out.

"Wait," Gai'vahros yelled out, "Rainbow Dash! I think I've found something!" The blood elf quickly made a sprint towards a small yet sharp glow of pale turquoise, pushing aside low hanging branches and bushes that got in his way. Thankfully for Rainbow Dash, the moonlight reflected brightly off of the gold of Gai'vahros armor, making it easier for her to find and keep up with him. Eventually the duo came onto a small circular clearing, staring down at a large object. The large gem embedded into it let off a strong light that revealed its shape; the large piece of gold was crafted into the shape or a large ornate helmet much like a royal guard's helm, but with large "wings" on both sides. "Ah! My shield." Gai'vahros knelt down, grasping at his shield with a hand on each side of it before turning it to face him.

"Wow, Gai, that's one impressive shield," spoke Rainbow Dash, looking down at the shield with a look of impression and admiration. "I've never seen a shield like this before, or even this size."

"It's served me for a long time," Gai'vahros responded as he ran his hand across the face of it, wiping away some dirt and soil from the metalwork. "This was a gift given to me by Lady Liadrin after I had done my duty alongside the Shattered Sun Offensive. This beauty has seen almost as many battles as I have."

"So should we head back now?"

"Yeah, I think we can call it a night. In any case, if we don't find the rest of my stuff we could always come back here and take another look- with sunlight, preferably."


	21. New Friends, Chapter 20

"Hey, Gai! Time to wake up, you lazy bum!"

It was some hours since the break of dawn. The morning sun bathed the forest in a sea of light, striking upon every tree, rock and bush that stood before it. The warmth veiled over every pony, critter, and any other living being that welcomed its presence. Well, that was to say that almost every living being welcomed the wake of Equestria's most prized possession.

"Hmm… five more minutes." Gai'vahros rolled over onto his side, reaching a hand over his shoulder to pull his cape back over him as though it was just a bed sheet. The elf let out a soft hum as he got himself a bit more comfortable, preferring to spend more time waltzing and dancing within the land of dreams than to get up. It wasn't like him at all to prefer his sleep over the chance to adventure and explore, but he did only get a few hours sleep after all.

"Come on, Gai'vahros," spoke Twilight as she made her way over to the peaceful elf though not with the act of diplomacy. Her horn glowed a light lavender colour as her magic began to envelope and tug at Gai'vahros' cape, pulling it away from the grip of his hand. "We've got to start making our way to the next camp site!" However, the disgruntled elf started to retaliate in kind, pulling back against the might of Twilight's power. The longevity of this struggle wasn't to last, though; with much of her power, Twilight quickly and sharply whipped her head to the side, causing the cape to motion in that direction with a great deal of force, forcibly pulling the cape backwards and, though unintentionally, causing the now shocked Gai'vahros to flip backwards heels over head and land on his belly. "O-oops… hehe… sorry about that…"

"I would flog you with the might of leather and steel of my glove," grumbled Gai'vahros as he lifted the cape that was now draped over his head from his face, "but I am far too tired to do anything that doesn't include sprawling out on the grass and falling asleep." Gai'vahros groggily stumbled to his feet, dusting himself off before letting out a huge yawn coupled with the arching of his back and the stretching of his arms upwards. "But, I admit, you are right. We'd better make way to the next camp site."

"Hey, Gai," called out Pinkie Pie from the side, her gaze fixated upon a solid slab of ornamented gold that leaned back against one of the fell logs used last night, "I never knew you had a gold surfboard. But there's nowhere to go surfing around here. Oh, actually, maybe you were thinking about going surfing in the river? Wait- how did you know that there's a river here? You must be PSYCHIC!"

"Uh… well, first, that's not a surfboard; it's my shield. Second, I didn't bring it with me; me and Lady Rainbow Dash found it last night in the forest. Third, I've not been here before so, no, I didn't know there was a river here. Lastly, I'm not psychic, though the prospect of that notion is something I may humour the thought of."

"Oh! It's a shield! Awesome! Hold still. I need to inspect your gear again." Pinkie Pie plonked her flank down on the grass in front of Gai'vahros, squinting her eyes as she slowly crept her head forwards, gazing at his armor. "I was a bit concerned that your Item Level was wayyyy too low last time."

"Uh… "Item Level"?"

"Shhh! Stop moving!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie in hushed tones, with Gai'vahros only complying out of fear of pain of death for defiance. For a few moments the pony kept staring, occasionally tilting her head from side to side- and at one point, turning it upside down. Sitting back up, Pinkie Pie gave a small hum as she stroked her chin with a fore-hoof. "It's getting better, but the lack of a weapon is bringing it down a bit."

"I… haven't a clue as to what you're talking about," the rather curious, concerned and- rightfully- scared elf responded with an awkward smile, "but I will agree with you that I do need to find my weapons. With any luck it won't take me too long."

"Goody! That should boost you up to four-eight-six!"

"… Boost what up to four-eight-six?"

"Duh! Haven't you been listening to a word I've said? Your Item Level, silly! Pay attention!"

'I don't always feel intimidated by creatures,' Gai'vahros thought to himself as he watched Pinkie Pie walk away from him with a look of impatience on her, directed to the elf's lack of understanding in her explanation, 'but this pony creeps me the hell out.' As Pinkie Pie walked a distance away from him, Gai'vahros left of a heavy sigh of relief before turning back to Twilight. So, my Lady Twilight, in which direction do we take our leave?"

"I sent Rainbow Dash to scout out the area," responded the unicorn while she had her snout buried in a small map of Ponyville, "so she'll be the best to tell us where to head next. Saying that, she should be back soon."

"I heard ya call my name." A sudden burst of air blasted between and past Gai'vahros and Twilight as Rainbow Dash jetted between them, showing off as per the norm. The pegasus had a smirk on her face as she stopped abruptly, hovering off the ground with her forelegs crossed over her chest. "But don't wear it out, okay?"

"Honestly, Rainbow Dash, must you always make a scene?" Twilight wasn't as impressed with her friend's entrance as she herself was if only because the map that she had held onto the ground nearly blew away from her grasp.

"I must concur," Gai'vahros responded in kind while fixing the bangs of his hair with both hands. He, too, was not impressed although not for the same reason as Twilight. "My hair is more than likely in a bad state from sleeping on dirt; I certainly don't need you messing it up any further with those blustering winds you bring."

"Oh lighten up, Gai." Rainbow Dash did not take the elf's words seriously and instead retorted by flapping her wings forwards, causing a gust of wind to blow through his hair and blowing the bangs that hung in front of his face over the top of his head.

Despite the visible agitation on the face of Gai'vahros all of the other ponies couldn't help but snicker and giggle under their breaths, though this was due to the silly look of his hair than out of malice of him becoming more irate at Rainbow Dash. Even Twilight, who was before lacking amusement of the pegasus' antics, had to bite her lip lest she burst out with a chuckle.

"Hah! I admit that that was pretty funny," replied Gai'vahros. With a smirk on his face he stared back at Rainbow Dash while sweeping his bangs back down in front of his face. "But I think this is even more so." A surge of golden light danced and spun around his hand before he thrust it outwards with an open palm facing Rainbow Dash. Suddenly a bolt of light struck the snout of the pegasus, causing her to drop to the ground in a groggy fashion. Rainbow Dash found it hard to see clearly; her vision blurred by the sudden shock of Gai'vahros' spell.

"H…hey… not this again…!" Rainbow Dash could hardly keep her words straight, instead slurring them as she began to feel dizzy. It wasn't like before, though; while she simply stopped in her tracks the first time, this time she felt dizzy, struggling to keep her balance as her legs began to wobble from under her own weight. "Why do I feel so dizzy…?"

"This isn't the Hammer of Justice, my Lady Rainbow Dash," replied Gai'vahros with a half smile on his face. "This is a more powerful spell; the Fist of Justice. Don't worry. The effects are only a few moments. How do you feel, by the way? Humoured?"

"N-no! Feels like I've been spinning on the spot…"

It seemed that, like Gai'vahros before, the other ponies began to chuckle at Rainbow Dash' predicament although they had no intention of holding it back, bellowing huge gouts of laughter from all sides of her. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but feel embarrassed and humiliated, but she understood that it was like a game of practical jokes between good friends, and so took it in her stride. Fortunately for her the effects started to quickly wear off, with her vision becoming steady along with her equilibrium.

"Okay, now that that's out of everyone's system," huffed Twilight, trying to catch her breath from laughing too much for too long, "did you manage to find a good place for the next camp site, Rainbow Dash?"

"Oh! Yeah, that's right! I scouted out the east and I managed to find a shortcut through the forests, but…" Rainbow Dash paused for a moment in hesitation, placing a hoof under her chin as though in thought.

"But wha?" Applejack asked after waiting a moment to give Rainbow Dash the chance to finish her sentence.

"Well… I saw claw marks on some of the trees around there. There were also broken branches on the ground, too."

"More'n likely caused by an angry bear… or an ursa minor… maybe an ursa major." Applejack wasn't feeling at all confident about using the shortcut. With a look of distress on her face she turned to Twilight, who was also in thought about these descriptions. "I reckon we'd better take the long way round."

"Nah, they definitely weren't bear claws," responded Rainbow Dash, trying to ease the strain of Applejack's worry. "Also, the branches were cut clean in two. I've never seen anything cut a tree so cleanly before."

"So a sword, then?" spoke Gai'vahros. "Only a hardened steel blade has the capacity to cut through something so thick without any fraying. My Lady Twilight, is there anyone in your world who would have direct access to weaponry?"

"Only the royal guards would have access to weaponry," responded Twilight, "but that's only on very rare occasions such as in defence of Canterlot or when traversing to hostile areas. The forest isn't exactly known to be hostile so it's very unlikely a guard would be here, let alone with a sword. But, if Rainbow Dash is right, there was definitely a struggle there."

"I was afraid you would say that, my Lady Twilight."

"Well what ever do you mean by that?" Rarity intervened, confused but also worried by the sullen tone of Gai'vahros' words.

"I've always had it in my mind as a possibility, but with this new information I'm starting to find it to me more truthful than just fiction that I may not be the only one here from Azeroth. I get the feeling that I'm not alone here, for better or for worse."

"You think someone else from Azeroth may have done this?" asked Twilight.

"Hard to say without assessing the warzone myself." Gai'vahros turned to his shield and quickly scooped it up with both hands before fastening it to his left arm. "My lady Twilight, I must ask that we take this shortcut through the forest. I don't think my mind can be at ease knowing that there is a possible threat wandering around here. Do not worry, my Lady Applejack. You will be safe with me here."

"Uh… aw, shucks, why the heck not?" Applejack relented with a smile on her face. The pony had no reason to disbelieve or distrust the elf considering she had seen his actions at work before, even if it was only against Rainbow Dash.

"But I cannot allow the children to remain with us." Gai'vahros turned to speak to Rainbow Dash as though he was a commander instructing his soldier. "Rainbow Dash, can I entrust you with getting little Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Spike back to Ponyville?"

"Hey, no way, Gai," Apple Bloom stepped forward with a determined look on her face. "I wanna come, too!"

"Yeah! Nothin' can scare the Cutie Mark Crusaders away!" Scootaloo joined in with the bravado.

"You have no say in this matter!" yelled Gai'vahros, his voice booming with the force of a hurricane and the authority of a deity. It was a huge shock and surprise for all- especially for the young fillies- to see such an angered expression on the elf's face and to hear him raise his voice as much as he did. Despite the boast that Scootaloo had made not second ago the three of them were certainly intimidated by Gai'vahros. It didn't take long for him to realize this, and so he quickly softened his expression and sighed, though still keeping a look of seriousness. "Apple Bloom, do you remember the talk we had a couple of days ago?"

"U-uh… yeah…" The filly only gave a slow nod as she looked down to the ground. She was too embarrassed to even look at Gai'vahros in the eye as she replied.

"Then, Rainbow Dash, could you be so kind as to see everyone safe passage back to Ponyville? We shouldn't be too long dealing with this."

"Yeah. No problem, Gai." Rainbow Dash lifted off the ground and made her way to the trio of fillies and Spike. "This way, guys." Without a moment's pause the four of them followed close behind. Apple Bloom, for a moment, looked back to Gai'vahros, visibly upset that she had been yelled at. The elf, in understanding, gave a smile and nodded, making Apple Bloom feel much better and returning the sentiment before catching up with the rest of the group.

"Gai'vahros… are you okay…?" asked Fluttershy in caring tones. She was almost as intimidated by Gai'vahros' disposition as much as the crusaders were if not more so.

Gai'vahros only looked on to see the group lead by Rainbow Dash head down the path, though he spoke up after watching them pass over a small hill out of sight. "I've seen so many people come and go, live and die. Some of them don't even garner my attention or sympathy, for they knew of the risks beforehand and venture head first through death's door out of recklessness." He turned to face Fluttershy, who was still worried for the elf, knowing that his actions and words would affect her the most; he understood that she was an incredibly emotional pony. "But the deaths of children will always be on my conscience. And I already have enough of them as it is."

Silence befell the rest of them as Gai'vahros walked over to a nearby path to the east, heading to where Rainbow Dash had described the conflict. At this point the ponies could only stand and watch as the blood knight was to make his way through the thickets, but he only stopped in front of the path and turned back to face them.

"But it is to you whom I give the choice," spoke Gai'vahros, his attention undivided and fixated upon the five remaining ponies. "As much as I would implore the rest of you to return, I also know that I cannot force you to do so. You can either head back to Ponyville, or you may accompany me further. Please think things over care-"

"What's there to think about, Gai?" Applejack responded, crossing her legs over each other. "I woulda thought you'd know by now that we sure as heck ain't gonna let ya face danger on your own. You can count me in!"

"Me too, darling," agreed Rarity in kind. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that you'd be eaten by some huge creature while I did nothing !"

"Yeah, friends gotta stick together like glue," spoke Pinkie Pie, joining in much to the surprise of Gai'vahros, "but not like superglue, otherwise you'd have a bad time getting it out of your mane."

"Yes. It would be much better and safer if we went as a group." It was even more surprising to the elf that the emotional and timid Fluttershy was all for accompanying him to the forest.

"We're all ready to fight beside you, Gai'vahros." Twilight was more than ready and determined, and perhaps even eager, to aid Gai'vahros in any way they could. She also understood, or had an educated guess, as to how strong people from Azeroth could be. She had witnessed Gai'vahros' excellence of his mastery over the Light to the point where such spells that he performed could be considered high level if compared to Equestria's magic, and he could perform them with so little effort too. She understood the possibility that whatever this threat was was out of her league in terms of combating it. But, she knew that she couldn't leave him to fight it alone. "This isn't just a threat to you. This could be a threat to the whole of Ponyville."

"Heh. Understood." Gai'vahros smiled as he scanned in front of him, seeing the faces of what was now his adventuring party as he had come to think of them for a moment. But they were much more than just his party. They were all his closest friends. "Stay close, and keep guard at the rear."

[hr]

The group passed through much of the forest but had not seen any sign of a fight yet. Gai'vahros kept to the front alongside Twilight, trying to spot or listen out for anything that may provide a clue to a conflict or a possible ambush, with Twilight keeping her horn at the ready should there be an assault from the front. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie stood in the middle, with Fluttershy looking out to the sides to try and spot anything that she could recognize, be they claw marks or anything else that she could recognize, while Pinkie Pie was, well, being Pinkie Pie. Lastly, Rarity and Applejack kept to the rear as Rarity used the magic in her horn to detect any movement from the flanks while Applejack kept her caution up, prepared to buck anyone who would attack from the rear with her powerful hind legs.

"You sure Rainbow Dash mean east and not… well, somewhere else?" Applejack was getting impatient the more trekking and less discovery they made as they continued down the dirt path. "We been walkin' for minutes now and I've yet to see anythin' that could come close to a scratched tree or a nicked branch."

"Well I don't think we should doubt her yet," Twilight replied, defending her absent friend, "considering she's one of the lead weather pegasi. I'm fairly sure she wouldn't make such a simple mistake such as that."

"A shame she didn't tell us exactly how far east she saw the scene," added Gai'vahros, who was also starting to feel a bit underwhelmed with the fruitless search. "At least that way we'd have some indication as to where we were going."

"Uh, excuse me," Fluttershy spoke up in a soft voice, "but I found-"

"True enough, Gai'vahros," Twilight replied to Gai'vahros, not noticing Fluttershy at all, "but at least we know which direction we're going in. At least, I hope we do."

"Uh… Twilight… I think I-"

"I do hope we find it sooner than later," Rarity whined, a look of exhaustion on her face. "My hooves are killing me!"

"Girl, we've only been walkin' for a few minutes." Applejack was amazed by Rarity's lack of stamina today.

"Um… Gai'vahros… I did find-"

"Hey! Do you think that this guy from your world would like parties, Gai?" Pinkie Pie, ever the optimistic one, asked aloud as though she was to expect a positive answer. "We should totally throw a welcome party! There'll be cake, and balloons and kumquats!"

"I think that whoever is here would rather cut a slice out of your body than a slice of cake, my Lady Pinkie Pie."

"Guys!" Fluttershy roared in a slightly more audible manner than her previous attempts. It worked, though, causing everyone to turn to look at her. Even so she felt a bit embarrassed, not realizing that she had raised her voice so much despite it actually being so little. "Uh… I think I found where the fight happened…" Fluttershy pointed to a path just behind her that lead off south.

"Why didn't you say so earlier, Fluttershy?" Twilight responded thought didn't allow the pegasus to respond, instead making a dash to and down the path while everyone else followed, with Fluttershy trailing behind a little bit as she tried to answer the hurrying unicorn.

It was a definite sight to behold, surely. The entire path was littered with litters of fallen leaves, chipped back, kicked up dirt and broken branches. For each one of them it felt incredibly ominous. Well, that was to say that for each of the ponies it was; Gai'vahros, on the other hand, was not entirely phased by such scenery. He had seen worse, after all. A whole lot worse.

I guess Lady Rainbow Dash wasn't mistaken, after all." Gai'vahros placed a hand over one of the claw marks on the tree. Some of the bark had been torn away to reveal the pale wood underneath but most of the claw mark stayed intact on the surface. "I've not seen such wide markings before. It's like a dragon made these, but I know not of a dragon with such thick claws yet close together."

"I think this is some kind of giant bird," spoke Fluttershy as she moved her head close to inspect another claw marking on the opposite tree. "I can just make out an imprint in the bark; definitely talons."

"Seems like it." Applejack picked up a large dark brown feather with her hoof, twirling it around. The feather was incredibly long as though belonging to a much larger-than-average eagle or condor. "I've not seen somethin' this huge before. What about you, Fluttershy?"

"Hmmm…" The pegasus tried to pin the feather to a creature but even she, with her extensive knowledge of common and exotic animals alike, could not identify it. "I'm sorry, Applejack, I can't say where it came from. It's too large to be any bird I know of."

"And the talon marks are just as mysterious, too," spoke Gai'vahros, trying to identify the imprint that Fluttershy had found. "To leave an imprint in bark like this would mean that the tree was either struck or slammed into. But what kind of bird would dropkick a tree?"

"Maybe the branches will give us a better clue?" suggested Twilight.

Gai'vahros shifted his attention to the numerous cleaved branches on the ground before looking up at the trees above. The first thing he noticed was that nearly all the trees down the path for several meters were broken off. The second thing he noticed- and the more frightening of the two- was that the ends of the branches and some of the leaves were charred as though they were burned. Kneeling down, the elf took a hold of one of the branches that lay on the path. Everything about this slices piece of wood felt abnormal. The stick was cold to the touch, even thought the thick leather of his gloves. It felt brittle in his soft grasp to the point that parts of it were beginning to flake away and crumble. The sliced end bore a rim of black and purple char.

"Do you notice anything strange, Gai'vahros?"

"I think a better question would be, "do you notice anything right?"." Gai'vahros rolled the twig between a finger and thumb. Not much to his surprise, the branch crumbled down the middle and snapped in two as soon as he put any more pressure on it. "If what caused this is what I think it is, then we're in much more of a dire predicament."


	22. New Friends, Chapter 21

It was a tough pill to swallow for the blood elf. Both pieces of the branch crashed upon the dirt and, despite the path being very soft and loose, splintered into smaller fragments. The inside of the wood bore more evidence of corruption; streaks of black and purple char and ash ran across the grooves and gradients while turning the rest of the branch into a pale, dull grey colour. It was as though the wood was petrified from the inside out. As though it had all vestiges of life sucked from it.

"Gai'vahros…" Twilight felt a chill rush down her spine, causing her mane to stand up on end and her tail to jitter slightly but violently. The unicorn felt her stomach flip and churn, feeling like it was doing high profile gymnastics. Gai'vahros' words made her feel sickly, his words an ominous toll of the death knell. "Have you… seen this kind of thing before?"

"Unfortunately, yes," replied the dumbfounded Gai'vahros. A few thoughts began to pass through his mind; the Scourge Invasion passed through his mind, as did the battle of Icecrown. "This is a definite sign of decay, corruption of undeath. This is a definite sign of the Scourge."

"But, Gai, didn't you say you defeated the Scourge years ago?" Applejack was perplexed by Gai'vahros' explanation, especially since he had told them about the assault on Icecrown Citadel not a few nights ago. "Do you think that some survived and… made their way here?"

"It seems likely-" Applejack couldn't help but feel the same feeling Twilight did, almost feeling sick to her stomach. "-but impossible," Gai'vahros finished, which helped ease Applejack's and Twilight's anxiety. "If this was a Scourge attack, you wouldn't have a forest anymore. You wouldn't even have a Ponyville anymore. But things could be worse, as if that's easy to believe."

Against her better judgment, Applejack lowered her head towards another of the cut branches, placing her snout next to it. "Smells a bit funky," she said with a disgusted look on her face as she took a sniff of it, whipping her head away as the smell of rot and burning attacked her senses. It almost felt like it attacked her brain as well as her sense of smell. "The last time I smelled somethin' this bad I had to spend an hour cleanin' out the pigpens."

"But what's this about things being worse, Gai'vahros?" spoke Fluttershy.

"Aye, I guess I should fill you all in." Gai'vahros quickly stood upright, turning to his companions. "This shares the corruption of what is similar to the Scourge, but it is not identical- not nearly as mindless nor evil. The damage done here was caused by a dark, cursed blade."

"And you know what it is?" Twilight responded.

"Shadowmourne."

""Shadowmourne"?"

"Yes. Shadowmourne is an axe infused with the blood of evil gods, powers of undeath, and the souls of the tormented. It was forged by the commander of the Ebon Blade, Highlord Darion Mograine, as a hard counter to the Lich King's own weapon, Frostmourne. A haunting blade, to be sure. Only a warrior of immense strength and equally as great willpower could control such dark powers without being overcome by it. By comparison, Quel'Delar only shares but a minute fraction of Shadowmourne's taint before I had cleansed it in the Sunwell, and even I had trouble subduing the blade. Shadowmourne is… a class of its own."

"But how did it get here?" asked Rarity with a puzzled look on her face.

Gai'vahros let out a small sigh. "I would think the same way I got here- by accident," he responded, "more than likely through a death gate."

"A "death gate"?"

"The death knights of the Ebon Blade use their death gate to return to the Acherus. I can only assume that whatever caused my portal to Quel'Danas to malfunction has also taken its toll on other powers that involve translocation."

Twilight felt more uneasy than she had been before, and for good reason. The unicorn walked slowly towards the monologue-driven blood elf with a look of confusing and distress. "Gai'vahros… you make it sound like you know who caused this."

"Would you like to make an educated guess, my Lady Twilight, or would you rather I spelled it out for you?" It was as much of a shock to everyone else as it was to Twilight, although the way that Gai'vahros had spoken about such knowledge already gave the suggestion that he knew the blade's wielder- they merely needed confirmation. But, what with this revelation, the others began to feel a bit more relaxed; they had it in their mind that anyone who knew Gai'vahros was surely a friend. "I know this person all too well. It was alongside them and many others that we actually managed to defeat the Lich King."

"Who is this person, Gai?" Applejack was almost elated to hear about another hero from Azeroth. "When do we get to meet this dark knight?"

"Never, with any luck," snapped back Gai'vahros as soon as Applejack had finished her sentence, holding off on cutting Applejack off in mid speech. "This person is not friend nor- hopefully- foe. I do not doubt that their intentions are malevolent, but I can only guess that whatever transpired here was an act of self defence on their part."

"How do you figure that?"

"Simple." Gai'vahros strode over to beside Applejack and Twilight before turning back round to face the littered path. "Look before you. A fight resulted in a sullied dirt path covered in the remains of forestry. Considering the fight was between a huge clawed creature and a heavy bladed weapon, what's missing from this picture?" The ponies looked to each other as though they were hoping another would provide the answer. Rather, that one of them would say it. They already knew what was missing. "The bloodshed," Gai'vahros finally revealed after such a deep pause of silence. "I would think the lack of blood- or body parts- would suggest that they fended off their attacker without using lethal force. That would also explain why there are embedded talon marks on the trees; the attacker probably had them against the trees and took a swing, missing them as they moved out of the way and striking the bark instead."

"That still doesn't explain why half of the forest got a trim," pointed out Applejack. The pony wasn't wrong in pointing out the flaw in Gai'vahros' explanation, either; it was a perfectly valid concern. "If this person [I]did[/I] retaliate in self defence, then what part of it gave the idea of cuttin' down the forest like a hyped-up lumberjack?"

"Sometimes the best deterrent is to just swing your sword," Gai'vahros responded with a shrug of his shoulders, "but you do have a point. In any case, I cannot guarantee anyone's safety now. We should call the whole thing off until I can verify if who we're dealing with is friend or not."

"But… I thought you knew this person, Gai'vahros," spoke Fluttershy is her usual soft manner. "aren't they a friend of yours?"

"They are not. This person does not follow any tenets, morals or code. They do not follow the orders or whims of anyone besides their own. Hell, they only joined in the fight against the Lich King for revenge, as most of the other death knights of Acherus did. Most importantly of all, this person is a death knight; an undead warrior whose very nature is to cause death and destruction. It is in their way of living in the same way that breathing and blinking is in ours."

Before anyone could continue the discussion, Rainbow Dash bolted over the tops of the trees above the group, rustling the remains and stumps of branches that still jutted from the canopies and causing more leaves to rain down softly upon the heads of those within. The pegasus quickly swooped down to hover between Gai'vahros and the remainder of the group. "Everything's been taken care of," she exclaimed, gesturing a salute towards Gai'vahros. "So are we gonna keep camping?"

"Change of plans," Gai'vahros responded without even turning to look at Rainbow Dash. "We're heading back to Ponyville until I can figure out what to do next." The elf threw his right foot forward to kick at some of the cindered branches that were scattered in front of him, the force of his foot causing them to crumble to pieces. "Are the children secured, my Lady Rainbow Dash?"

"Yup," she replied, "I sent them all back to the library with Spike. I just hope they haven't wrecked the place."

"I also set up a ward spell around the library before we left," joined Twilight. "You know, just in case we do end up having a break-in. The spell will block out anyone who hasn't been scribed on its ward stone, so only us girls- and guy- should be able to get in."

"Good." The elf marched past the six of them back to the main pathway, turning to look east and then west. Finally, he turned back to face the girls, letting off a small yet deep sigh. "I'm sorry that we have had to cut our camping short, but it's vital that we are not to proceed any further for the moment. As I've said before, I do not know if this woman is friend or foe- only that she is violent and has no qualms in attacking the innocent should her bloodlust call for it."

"We all understand, Gai'vahros," responded Twilight, "and you're right; we should head back to Ponyville to make sure everything is okay."

"I'm glad you agree, my Lady Twilight." Gai'vahros' voice dropped in tone by the end of his words, becoming more brooding and sullen- and fearful. It was this scenario that he did not want to happen, to have others from Azeroth find this place, knowing full well that most people he knew would come here to spoil the land and to treat it as though they had right to harvest their lumber, ore and food supplies. It was even more heartbreaking for him that the person he knew did not need trees, minerals or livestock to satisfy their hunger. They only needed souls. "Then we are to depart immediately. Lady Rainbow Dash, can you direct us back to Ponyville?"

"Sure thing, Gai. Just follow me." Rainbow Dash took off at a quick pace, knowing that all of them needed to get back to the village as soon as possible. The group were all too eager to do the same, bursting out into a sprint.

"Hey, Gai," Applejack responded between her own beats and breath, "you never… told us who this knight was."

"Perhaps some other time… Lady Applejack," he responded, not thinking this the best of time to start asking questions, preferring to lead with caution and to not divert his attention from the surrounding area. "I'll perhaps explain… when we get back." Applejack nodded in acknowledgement of the elf's suggestion.

[hr]

"Guys! You're back!" cried out Apple Bloom, turning to see the front door swing open to reveal the visages of the mane 6 and the blood knight. The young filly rushed to her sister, wrapping her forelegs around hers and nuzzling into her coat. Sweetie Belle did the same as soon as Rarity stepped inside. "I was worried about you, sis…"

"Huh, no need to sweat sugar cube," Applejack responded with a chuckle and a hoof around the neck of her tearful sibling, comforting her the best she could. "We had Gai with us, after all."

"Did you… did you find who you were looking for?" Sweetie Belle asked Rarity as she looked up at her, then to Gai'vahros.

The elf only shook his head, however. "I'm sorry," he responded in disappointment, "we weren't able to find them. They're still out there somewhere." His words were not the best of encouragement, evident to him immediately as he looked to the group, seeing the worried faces of the young fillies. "Applejack. Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo. I want you all to go home this evening."

"What? Why?" Rainbow Dash retorted, feeling somewhat offended by the fact that Gai'vahros took her lightly. "We can fight this thing together! We can all-"

"No, you can't." The elf's voice became much more broad and commanding as he exclaimed to the floating pegasus, causing her to shrink her head back into her shoulders while Gai'vahros fixated his stern eyes upon her. "Death knights are not easily beaten, by sword or sorcery. I'm sorry to say that your might and magics here are futile at best, especially if your guards rarely carry their weapons and your highest grade of magic is gender-swapping."

"Hey! Don't underestimate us, Gai!" If Rainbow Dash wasn't offended before, then she certainly was now. Her temper got the better of her as she zipped across the meter gap between her and the elf, staring to prod at his chest with her hood between her words. "Do, not, think, I'm, weak!" Before the pegasus could even finish giving him a scowling look, a hand dashed out forwards and grasped her by the top of her head. Gai'vahros' palm lay flat across her forehead while his digits curled around her temples and cranium, gripping tightly and only getting tighter. Rainbow Dash tried her best to wriggle out using her head alone but couldn't get it to budge. Her hooves wrapped and gripped around his wrists, trying to pull away, but to no avail. Suddenly she gave out a squeal as she felt his hand clamp tighter around her head. "G-Gai! Stop! Y-you're hurting me! Ahh! L-let go!"

"Gai, what are you-" cried out Twilight, stepping one hoof forward.

"Showing her how weak she is." Gai'vahros did not turn back to look at Twilight, but merely kept his gaze fixated upon the whimpering pegasus. No one else could believe what was going on; everyone looked on in horror as Gai'vahros single-handedly manhandled Rainbow Dash. Cries of "stop!" and "let go of her!" bombarded the elf, but he paid no attention. He knew they would not act, because he knew that they knew that he would not harm her further.

"Please, Gai! Let go of me!" Between her yelps of pain and discomfort, Rainbow Dash pleaded with the elf to release her.

"You do not listen to reason, my Lady Rainbow Dash… so I must bestow reasoning upon you by force. Forgive me…" His fingers relaxed, dropping Rainbow Dash to the floor as she began to feel the pain subside. The pegasus couldn't help but whimper, and to look up upon the knight with mortified eyes. But all she saw was the look of a distraught blood knight with a single tear down his cheek. "A death knight will not listen to reason. A death knight will not listen to your pleas of release and cries for help. Rather, they would, but for their own sick amusement before crushing your skull to pulp. So please, my Lady Rainbow Dash… go home."

Everyone, including Rainbow Dash, was speechless. The pegasus only gave a scared glance at Gai'vahros as she trotted past him, quickly taking off through the doorway and northward. Most had eyes on her as she left the building before turning to gaze back at Gai'vahros, but Twilight had always kept her gaze upon him. It was painful for her to bear witness to such a thing to the point that she just wanted to cry out. But she couldn't.

"Gai… How could you?" the unicorn spoke up, trying not to choke on her own words. "You went too far!"

"I know." The elf hung his head low, breathing in deeply before drawing a heavy sigh. He turned his head to Twilight's direction slightly, but dared not make eye contact with her. He didn't want to see the look on her face, just as he did not want her to see his, his bangs obscuring the sadness in his expression and the tears in his eyes. "But it was the only way to get her to understand, to understand that she would only get herself killed if she confronted them. Maybe I could have convinced her some other way… but it was the only way I could think of." It didn't matter to him that he could fully justify his action to himself; it was the fact that he could not justify it to everyone else.

"Well, we'll be headin' off," Applejack tried to break the tension, but not for Gai'vahros' sake. She, too, was upset and angry with what had just transpired, but more upset for Rainbow Dash than for the action itself. She knew that Rainbow Dash needed to listen to Gai'vahros, but even she didn't deserve what she got. "I don't want my head crushed for nothin'. Come on, Apple Bloom…" The young filly followed Applejack, distraught but still hopeful for the elf.

"Gai," Apple Bloom called softly, turning her head back to the motionless elf, seeing only his tense shoulders and dropped head from behind as she stood by the doorway, "we're still friends, right? We're all still your friends… right?" There was no response. Still he stood motionless, unwavering, unsaying. Apple Bloom only bore the look of sorrow as her ear dropped down before turning back to the door, following her big sister home.

"Gai… I… I thought you were cool…" Pinkie Pie hiccupped between sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks. "But… you're just a meanie…!" The pony burst out into tears as she ran out the door and down the streets. Fluttershy, too, was brought to tears by Gai'vahros' violence but did not say or do anything; she was too in shock to even move.

Rarity, on the other hand, was all but full of words for the elf. "Gai… I never thought you-"

"I know what I did," the elf spoke back, cutting Rarity off. All of it was just too much for him. "… I'll take my leave…" Gai'vahros tried to keep his head down and away from the eyes of those present, avoiding eye contact with anyone as he turned. He stopped at the door. "But, please… Lady Rarity… Lady Fluttershy… stay here for tonight. Your homes are too close to the forest. You'll be much safer here with Lady Twilight around…" With that, the blood knight took his leave.

[hr]

The stars were especially bright tonight. Each wasn't listened in the void of the sky like a beacon of hope in the surrounding darkness. At least, that was hope Gai'vahros wanted to interpret the view, as some sort of metaphysical semblance of how he felt at the moment- his heart, the star; the sky, his anxiety. The moonlight shone upon the still grieving elf who sat upon a bench only several meters from the library. He had always felt that the sky could bestow upon him some sort of comfort if he gave it a little attention and a little thought. It helped him to reflect upon himself and the things that he had done through his life, especially his more questionable actions.

footsteps rang through the air, echoing softly as they slowly began to become clearer, approaching the blood knight. Gai'vahros, though, was too deep in his thoughts to even warrant paying the sound any attention. However, he would soon change his thoughts upon hearing a familiar voice. "I thought I might find you here," called Twilight, stopping only some feet from the bench. Her voice did not sound pleased in the least bit, and a soft sigh from her mouth only helped reinforce that fact. "I thought you said you were going?"

"I still have some friends that need protecting," he responded before turning to give his attention to the unicorn. He only saw the drooped eyes of disappointment gazing back at him. "Even if you hate me, it won't change that fact." Gai'vahros waited for a response about how they didn't need him, or how he wasn't their friend anymore. But nothing of the sorts was said. Nothing was said. He didn't know whether to take that as a good or a bad thing. "… How is everyone…?"

"I managed to calm Fluttershy down. I told her that, sometimes, people do the harshest of things in order to protect the ones they love. I told her that you're a great person and that, even though you were harsh to Rainbow Dash, you'll do anything to protect her and the rest of us. I told her that you were one of the greatest friends we could have."

"Do you believe that, Lady Twilight?"

"I don't. Well, not at first. But, after hearing myself say it out loud, I've come to realize that it is true. It was still hurtful seeing you do that to Rainbow Dash."

"I know. I only wish I could apologize to her. She probably doesn't even want to see my face ever again." drawing a heavy sigh, the elf looked back up to the stars. "For these last few hours I've been trying to tell myself that what I did was acceptable. That what I did was justifiable. But every time I try to tell myself that, a voice in my head tells me it wasn't. Tell me, Lady Twilight; was it?"

"I'm not the one you should be asking. Tomorrow, you should go see Rainbow Dash in Cloudsdale and apologize to her."

"But she won't want to even so much as see me, let alone talk to me. Please come with me, Lady Twilight, so you can talk to her too."

"Sorry, Gai'vahros, but you're on your own with this one. Don't worry. If you really want to apologize to her, with all your heart, then you'll be able to find a way to do it. Just have some faith in yourself, okay? But, you know the way to Cloudsdale, right?"

"Sure thing. Northwest of here, right?"

"Right," spoke Twilight with a nod before turning away, making her way back to the library. "And come inside. You'll catch a cold out here."

"It's okay. I don't mind the cold. I think I'll sleep out here tonight if it's all the same to say, Lady Twilight."

"Okay… Goodnight, friend."

"Hm. Goodnight, my Lady Twilight."


	23. New Friends, Chapter 22

"It's… finally over. Well done, champions." The paladin gives off a heavy sigh of exhaustion and relief, his eyes closing for a moment, thoughts of the past and present racing through his mind as, finally, the evil is put to rest. "I'm sorry that I could not be of much help to you all, but you have all shown great tenacity, courage and strength today. Finally, the thousands of tormented have been freed thanks to your heroic efforts."

"Highlord Fordring… you praise us too much," responded Gai'vahros in modesty, his arms relaxing to his side, the point of Quel'Delar pressed against the ice of the platform around them. "But it's finally over. Finally, the fallen of Lordaeron, Silvermoon, and the unfortunate people who were slain in Arthas' wake can rest in peace knowing that their deaths were not in vain."

"No, Gai'vahros. Without all of your help, together, we would not have been able to secure victory over the fallen prince. I only wish now that Arthas will find nothing but misery in death… as well as atonement." Tirion let out another sigh as he turned his head to look back down at the shattered runeblade behind him. The sword, dark as night and evil as the hells themselves, lay shattered in pieces as the jagged blade and rusted hilt were all that remain. "Even though I know that it was ultimately this damned sword that drove Arthas to madness, I still can't help but think that something happened to him much earlier. Perhaps it was Mal'Ganis that drove him to the edge. Maybe it was the culling of Stratholme that pulled him from the path of retribution to the path of vengeance."

"It is hard to say, Tirion," interrupted a voice from behind Gai'vahros. The young human Paladin, Christoph Andrews, stepped forwards to confront the Highlord of his doubts. "It is too late for us to think about matters that we will never know the answers to. Though with his death, as tragic as it may or may not be, know that he may find respite- as will the rest of us."

"Ehhhhh the young prince will be remembered, though ehhh perhaps for not the right reasons." A strong, heavy voice with a Mediterranean accent approached the conversation with much more light-heartedness than the others. "Ostoso, may we remember him for the good things he has done. Eh, Gai, you always reminded me of him, you know. I look- I look into your face and I see his."

"That's not exactly the greatest of compliments you've given me, Stavros," replied the elf in sarcasm, "but perhaps you'd like to explain how I remind you of Azeroth's most vile opponent?"

"Eh, malaka, you know that is not what I meant," Stavros replied in impatience with the blood knight, waving his pointing finger at him as he reprimanded him. "I see the light in your eyes and the divinity in your heart, agori mou, just as I saw it in your father and Arthas. Katalava, you have so much more to give, Gai mou, much more than the prince. You can achieve greatness! But, prota, you must have faith in yourself, and believe in the things that you do! Only then will you know greatness the likes of which kings can hardly dream of."

"The old codger's right, Gai'vahros," the voice of a young female assured Gai'vahros, though caused some chagrin to the old priest whom she had offended. "We can all become awesome if we just believe in ourselves and in each other. We can become great just like Tirion, and Thrall, and Varian, and Muradin- we can be like them!"

"That's not what I want, Emilia," replied Gai'vahros, his voice becoming harsh. "I don't want fame or glory or a legendary title. I don't want to lead, don't want my head stuck in politics, and I sure as hell don't want to deal with this ridiculous and petty rivalry between the Horde and Alliance. I want to travel the world, help right the wrongs of others and to defend those who cannot defend themselves, no matter how small the problem. Adventuring is my life, my blood."

"Heh. A good an answer as any that you could give, young knight." Tirion gave a smile as though he was bestowing his blessing upon a squire. The paladin patted Gai'vahros on his shoulder gently, showing his respect for him. "Like you father before you, I have no doubt that you will make an excellent knight."

A sudden groan alerted the group to another of their team, one that not all were comfortable with being around. The figure of a slender woman clad only in the most ebon of metals- an armor of pure saronite- stomped past them. "I did not come here so I could hear you fools ramble on about how great you are and how glorious the light is," her voice burst out in agitation and impatience as she made her way to the steps of the frozen throne. "I came here to rend the neck of the Lich King, and I have done so. I'll be taking whatever trinkets I can take before taking my leave."

"… As you wish, death knight," Tirion mumbled after some hesitation. "Mograine would like a word with you before you leave here. You can find him at the Lower Citadel."

"No doubt the Highlord wishes to congratulate me on a job well done." The death knight hefted her weapon above her shoulder before bringing it down to the side, arcing it horizontally and cleaving the top of a small wooden chest off. Inside were several items- A small, notched sword with various dents and scrapes along its blade, a badge that bore the emblem of a silver, fisted gauntlet, a vial of frozen red blood, a small golden locket with a ruby inset in a socket, and a glinting blue gem. "Tch. Mere junk. Maybe someone will know what these are." The unsatisfied knight scooped up all that lay in the chest with a single hand, clenching them while her weapon remained gripped in the other.

"I assume you'll be taking that cursed blade with you?"

"Unless you aim to pry it from my cold undead hands, then yes, I'll be taking it with me. No objections, I hope?" She bore a wide smirk on her face as she gazed upon the disgruntled looks of those before her. However, her gaze fixated sharply upon the blood knight that stood mere feet in front of her. Her eyes beamed aggression towards Gai'vahros, which he only returned in indifference. "Remember this well that I only came here to defeat a common enemy. The next time we meet will be on the battlefield- and not as allies, either. You have been warned."

"… If that is how it should be. Farewell, death knight."

"Hmph. Still won't address me proper? Fine, then." The knight pulled her gaze from his as she made her way to a small portal. "We [I]will[/I] meet again Gai..."

[hr]

"Gai… Gai'vahros… wake up, won't you…?"

For a moment, Gai'vahros mind became fuzzy and cloudy as the unnaturally gentle and comforting voice swept through his ears. He kept his eyes closed for a moment, making sure that what he was hearing was not still in his dreams. Of course, the voice was as real as the feel of the hoof that nudged his shoulder gently, rocking him softly from side to side like a baby in a crib. Slowly his eyes opened, his vision still blurred and distorted from the sand in his eyes and the fatigue that had still settled in his body- only five hours sleep can do that to an elf. As his vision began to clear, to create a perfectly visible picture in front of him, he saw a pale yellow snout, bright eyes and pink hair in front of him.

"Oh… Lady Fluttershy…" Gai'vahros felt his chest tense up after looking at her, noticing that she didn't have a smile on her face like he was used to seeing. His eyes shifted away from hers for a moment, not wanting to look into hers for fear of feeling guilty. He couldn't keep this up though, knowing that he had to do something about it now. Now was the only time he may have. "I… uh… what are you doing here?"

"Um… I thought I'd come check on you," she replied. "Twilight told me that you were sleeping out here just now. Why didn't you come sleep with us…?"

"Lady Fluttershy, I…" The elf didn't know what to say. His head dropped for a moment, not wanting to look at Fluttershy knowing that she was feeling- or was about to feel- upset again. With a sigh, he rose his head again. "I didn't feel like I could show my face again. I upset everyone. I hurt Lady Rainbow Dash. Worst of all, I made you and Lady Pinkie Pie cry."

"Well… yes… but Twilight explained to me and Rarity about why you did what you did. She said-"

"That I was a good person inside? I know all about it. Lady Twilight came and spoke with me last night. I guess you and Rarity were asleep when she came to spoke to me."

"Oh… yes. Probably."

"Listen, Lady Fluttershy, I don't expect you to forgive me, and I don't expect you to accept it, but I want to say that I'm really sorry for having made you and everyone else upset. I wasn't thinking right, but I had to do [I]something[/i] to make Lady Rainbow Dash understand. I know it wasn't the right way to do it, but it was the only way I knew how…"

"I understand, Gai'vahros. We know that you didn't mean to hurt Rainbow Dash."

"Well, you needn't worry about me hurting you anymore." Placing his hands on his knees, Gai'vahros hunched forwards and stood up from his prone position, swinging around and standing upon the cobblestone pavement. "I'm going to Cloudsdale later so I can hopefully apologize to Lady Rainbow Dash, and then I'm leaving."

"L-leaving? But, Gai'vahros, where will you go?"

"To the forests. I said I was going to protect you, to deal with this threat we're all facing, and I intend to keep that promise. After that… I'll go wherever the wind takes me. I'm an adventurer, after all." With that said, Gai'vahros walked past the still shocked Fluttershy, heading up north down the path. "Please tell everyone how sorry I am, won't you? But, please, don't tell anyone of my departure. It will be better if they did not know."

"Please, Gai'vahros… don't go…" pleaded Fluttershy, her voice trembling a little as she forced her words out. "I don't want you to leave us…" It was too hard for the emotional pegasus to handle. Small pools of tears formed in her eyes as she watched the elf walk further and further into the distance with no sign of stopping or even listening to her cries. "Gai'vahros… please…!"

Her cries finally reached the sullen Gai'vahros. The elf stopped in his tracks, pausing, hesitating to take another step forwards. His mind began to run circles in his head, thoughts pouring in from all sides as he began to think- is this just one step closer to joy, or damnation? Is Fluttershy the first step back to regaining his friendship? Is this what Stavros meant when he said that he had to have faith in himself? "Lady Fluttershy…" Gai'vahros turned back to look at her, visibly hurt emotionally as he looked to see those same sad eyes that he saw yesterday. "Do you think… do you think we can still be friends…?"

"Fluttershy gave a big nod, closing her eyes tightly for a moment to hold back her tears, bearing a smile on her face- a smile that Gai'vahros always wanted to see, all the time. "Yes. We'll always be friends."

A small smile spread across the lips of the joyful elf. He turned back to face Fluttershy, walking towards her slowly, not wanting to take his eyes away from the happy look on the pegasus' face. He just wanted to see it as much as he could, as often as he could. Suddenly, Fluttershy pounced forwards, wrapping her forelegs around the waist of Gai'vahros, much to his shock and surprised. He could feel it- the softness and warmth of her body and coat. Or was that what friendship felt like, he thought. He wrapped his arms around the back of Fluttershy, cradling her, holding her close. "Lady Fluttershy… if I ever hurt you again, feel free to whack me in the face," he spoke humorously.

"Um… I'll try…" Feeling a bit embarrassed, Fluttershy quickly let go from the embrace, as did Gai'vahros. She could feel her cheeks heat up, forming a nice cascade of pale red over them. "Perhaps we should head inside…?"

"Do you think Lady Rarity and little Sweetie Belle will mind?"

"Oh, I'm sure they will. Twilight told us everything." Very optimistic, Fluttershy was. The pegasus made her way back towards the library, thinking that Gai'vahros would follow her close by but, when she turned her head back, noticed that he still stood there. "Come on. Don't be shy."

Gai'vahros chuckled a little at the irony of Fluttershy's words. The knight followed her back to the library, keeping a few feet behind. Even though he was on good terms with Fluttershy, he still did not feel it was okay for him to treat this rekindling as though everything was okay. Everything was not okay, and he needn't risk overstepping his boundaries.

As they both got to the door, Fluttershy opened it casually before stepping inside. "Twilight, I'm back," she called out, "and I brought someone with me…" Both Rarity and Twilight turned as soon as Fluttershy came inside, but only saw her.

Twilight's eyebrow rose as she stared out the door. "So… where is he?" she questioned while trying to peek around the corners of the frame from where she stood.

"Huh…?" Fluttershy looked back only to find an empty space where she thought Gai'vahros would be standing. Quickly, she turned and headed to the entrance, looking from one side to the other. As she turned her head, she noticed the still nervous blood knight pressed gently against the outside wall. "Gai'vahros, come in… please?"

The elf sighed. "Okay, okay…" Following Fluttershy inside, Gai'vahros slowly made his way from the corner of the entrance to the doorway before stepping inside. He felt his heart skip a beat momentarily, catching a glimpse of the hardened stares from Twilight, Rarity, and Spike. The pressure began to get to his head, feeling a rush of blood flow into his brain, beginning to feel slightly dizzy. Finally composing himself, he took a deep breath. "I know what I did was wrong," he began, gazing blankly forwards, not particularly fixated or directed to anyone but to those whose attention he garnered, "and I won't try and justify why I did it- you all know the reason. I don't know whether or not it was a good reason, but it was the only thing I could think of given the circumstances. I need to say, whether or not you'll accept it, that I'm sorry for the trouble and heartache that I have caused you all. I don't expect forgiveness, but I'll be happy knowing that you two- Lady Rarity, and little Spike- would accept these tokens of apology."

Reaching into his pocket, Gai'vahros gave a moment of pause before pulling out the small jeweller's kit and opening it. The lid sprung open on its two hinges, revealing two items. One was a cut diamond, while the other was a small burlap sack. The elf placed a few fingers inside and gently picked up the glistening diamond from the kit's compartment, holding it up in front of his face while the colours dazzled as light began to pass through its facets, glistening in flashes of red, blue and yellow.

Rarity was astounded by such clarity in a gem the which of likes she had never seen before. "My gosh, Gai'vahros," she spoke up, surprised and amazed by such workmanship but also the fact that Gai'vahros had managed to accomplish such a thing. Rarity had almost forgotten entirely that she had given him the valuable jewel to begin with. "is that-?"

"It is, my Lady Rarity." The elf made his way to the dazzled unicorn and bestowed upon her his gift. "I made a promise that I would return it to you in the best of shapes, and this is what I have done." Placing it upon her hoof, Rarity looked down and marvelled at its creation. The gem bore the shape of an intricate shield, cut in a Trillion style but shaped like a top-pointed heater shield.

"Gai'vahros, I…" Rarity forced her words through her half-closed throat, almost screeching her words through a flood of emotions. She couldn't even find it in herself to be mad at the elf anymore. She was sure of herself that what she witnessed yesterday was brutal and unwarranted to which she protested greatly against, but she knew Gai'vahros better than that. She knew he was a great person and an even greater friend. "Thank you so much!"

Gai'vahros only gave a big smile upon his deterred lips. At this point he did not need to know if it was a sign of forgiveness. He didn't even care if Rarity had forgiven him. All that mattered was that he could do something to make her smile again. Satisfied with the outcome, Gai'vahros turned to the young dragon who stood beside Twilight to find a rather wide, toothy smile on his snout.

"Gai," exclaimed Spike as he held his hands together, his little fingers entwined between themselves, "does that mean-"

"Why don't you take a look for yourself?" replied Gai'vahros with a small smirk on his face as he lifted the small sack from the jeweller's box. Spike kept his eyes of it as it hung from the elf's grasp as though mesmerised by it, following it closely as Gai'vahros placed it into his open palms. The young dragon could swear that he could smell a slight hint of diamond from the sack, hovering his nose above the tied opening and taking a little sniff. Eagerly, as though he was opening a big birthday present, he untied the two laces that tightened around the top of the bag and peered inside before reaching a small hand inside. The contends were smooth, hard and a little sharp around some of its edges, but not enough to cut into his tough, leather-like skin. His claws tightened around a few of these shards before pulling them out.

"W…wow…!" Spike was more than ecstatic from the view that lay before him. In his hand held several shards and chips of equestrian diamond, but they were all shined and polished to the degree of what would be seen on perfectly cut gemstones that would be used in jewellery- they no longer resembled discarded cuts. "Gai… did you cut all of these?"

"Kind of," replied Gai'vahros. "I had the thought that you like gems based on their value and clarity, so I thought it'd be a shame if I just gave you scratched and damaged chippings. I just smoothed them out, give them a bit of polish and buffed out all the scratches and imperfections, that's all."

"You- you'd do all of that for me?"

"I'd do that, and much more, for any of you. You're my friends, after all."

"Dude…" The dragon's eyes began to well up with tears as he gazed up at the pure, smiling face of Gai'vahros. With such emotion, Spike leapt at Gai'vahros' leg and hugged it as close as he could. "You're so awesome…!"

"If you say so, little Spike." It really felt like a big step back in the right direction for Gai'vahros, knowing that he could do such greatness for his new friends despite emerging from such darkness. It was a great feeling for him, but he knew that this direction had a few more hurdles that he needed to jump over- some bigger than others.

As Spike found the time to relinquish his newfound love for him, Gai'vahros looked back to Twilight to see a happy and satisfied look on her face. "I'm happy that they've found it in their hearts to forgive you, Gai'vahros," she spoke with a smile on her face. "I'm sure everyone else will, too."

"And you, my Lady Twilight? Do you still forgive me?" Even though he had heard it the night before, Gai'vahros still felt inclined to ask a second time. He needed to have that closure, to hear it from her a second time.

"Of course I do," she responded adamantly, "and I told you I did last night. In fact, I had forgiven you the moment it happened. I just… well, I just had to make sure that what you did was out of reluctance and necessity and not out of cruelty."

"I understand, and I hope that you understand that I only ask again for closure."

"I understand."

"Okay, cool," spoke Spike, "so we all understand each other now? But, what are we gonna do about Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash?"

"I'm taking my leave for the moment to head to Cloudsdale," Gai'vahros responded, "so I can apologize to Lady Rainbow Dash. I just hope I'll be able to find her and, on top of that, hope that she can forgive me."

"Um… would you like me to accompany you, Gai'vahros…?" asked Fluttershy.

Gai'vahros shook his head slowly. "No, it's okay, my Lady Fluttershy," he responded, then turned his gaze to Twilight with a small smile. " I think it would be best if I went on my own, to show my devotion as it were." Twilight nodded in response, glad that Gai'vahros had come to his own conclusion as to why it would be better if no one went with him. "Northwest of here, right?"

"That's right, Gai'vahros," responded Twilight, confirming the direction of Cloudsdale. "Have a safe flight, okay?"

"Always do, unless a flying pegasus knocks me out of the air. Let's just hope it isn't Lady Rainbow Dash."


End file.
